SH9: The Case of the Manila Envelope
by HA Senidal
Summary: Shirley deals with a mysterious gamer and Molly dating Blake.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Shirley Holmes and all affiliated characters are courtesy of Credo and Forefront. Everyone else belongs to me. Any questions?  
  
The Case of the Manila Envelope--Prologue  
by HA  
  
In a luxurious apartment, a handsome man watched as the die on the ground rolled for a moment. The white piece of plastic finally stopped with a six on top.  
  
He let out a sigh of relief and dared to address the girl before him. "Ha, a six! I'll win no matter what I roll! What's the point of me even rolling?"  
  
Before him, the girl smiled. "The game won't end until you roll."  
  
"Hmph!" The man bent down and scooped up the die. "Well, I'll just roll and put a hole in your head at the same time!" He threw the die at the girl's forehead, and the plastic cube bounced off it and fell to the floor hard. Once the die had settled down, the man looked down. "Ha! A one!" he declared, pointing down at the die to show the girl the single green spiral on it. "Looks like I win, and now...!" His head reached for the kitchen knife he had left on the nearby desk.  
  
"Actually," the girl said, grinning rather wickedly, "you're going to be punished."  
  
"What do you mean?" the man said, his hand barely touching the knife as the girl pointed to the floor. Immediately, his two eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  
  
He had rolled a one; the side with the spiral was present. Unfortunately, he found himself staring at the side lying next to the one.  
  
"Six?" the man gasped in disbelief, his eyes never leaving the split die as he quickly added up the sum of the sides. "I rolled a...seven?"  
  
"You lose!" The girl pointed a gloved finger at the man. "Dark Penalty!"  
  
The last thing the man saw was a pair of glowing yellow eyes glaring at him. Later on, neighbors would tell the police that they thought they had heard a loud scream that immediately stopped.  
  
As her victim collapsed to his knees, the girl searched through the various papers on the nearby desk and found what she was looking for underneath the man's knife. Stuffing it in her coat, she walked towards the apartment door and stopped briefly to look back at the loser of their little game. "Game over," she said, grinning. "Let's see how well you do now," she added as she exited the apartment without looking back.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Thanks to an anonymous tip, the police found the man they'd been looking for. However, the arresting officers were rather surprised at the sight before them in the apartment they were told to look in, and for a while, none of them spoke.  
  
They had been given a picture of the suspect, and it was of a handsome man without any physical flaws. The detective in charge of the case had speculated that and his charming manner were what enabled him to escape conviction for the gruesome crime he had been accused of committing. When the police found him kneeling on the floor, they wondered if they had the right guy.  
  
While the man's basic head shape was unaltered, his once flawless skin was covered with warts and boils. His perfect nose now resembled a toucan's beak, and his hair grew in little wisps shooting out of his scalp.  
  
"What the...?" one officer said, finally breaking the disturbing silence.  
  
The man waved his hands frantically, and as the officers continued to stare at him, he grabbed one of them. Pulling him tightly at the collar and ignoring the other's look of horror, he tried to yell "Help! Help me!" as he shook the policeman as hard as he could.  
  
Unfortunately, it's hard to cry out for help without a mouth.  
  
END OF PROLOGUE 


	2. Chapter 1

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 1  
by HA  
  
"'Current Urban Legends'?" Bo Sawchuk said as he read the title on the paperback just handed to him.  
  
"Yeah," Blake Hewitt answered after swallowing a piece of chicken. "I bought it Saturday with Shirley."  
  
Bo raised an eyebrow right before shoveling a mouthful of macaroni and cheese into his mouth. "You did, huh?" He looked over the book cover, which contained a shadow with glowing red eyes standing in an alley. Turning the paperback over, he read the summary to himself. "This sounds like something Bart would like," he stated after finishing.  
  
"I believe we saw him at the bookstore buying it as we were brining our copies to the register," Shirley Holmes recalled, putting the tip of her fork to her chin. "He was rather enthusiastic when he was holding it in his hands."  
  
"So, how come you didn't talk to him?" Bo asked.  
  
"Susan was with him," Blake answered.  
  
"Ah," Bo said, returning to his lunch, although he did glance occasionally at Shirley and Blake. Unconsciously, he felt the grip around his spoon starting to tighten.  
  
"Speaking of Strangers..." Shirley looked up and saw Rika Tamura heading towards the table. The young Japanese girl had her backpack slung over her shoulder as she carried her lunch.  
  
"Isn't that heavy?" Bo asked as Rika settled in and placed her backpack in front of her.  
  
"I'm used to it," Rika remarked, patting her bag, "and quite frankly, this is safer with me."  
  
"Duly noted," Shirley said.  
  
"I suggest we keep it down," Rika said, narrowing her eyes as she looked past Shirley.  
  
Turning around, Shirley spotted Molly Hardy at a nearby table. The pretty blonde was surrounded by a group of girls trying their best to pass along gossip to her. From the bored look on Molly's face and by the way she held up her head with her hand, Shirley thought that their efforts were in vain.  
  
"Now," Rika began in a low voice as she kept her head down, "if you're wondering, Bart's still alive."  
  
"What have you guys got him going up against now?" Bo whispered back.  
  
"I believe an alien," Rika said as she picked through the macaroni, "and I'm not talking E.T."  
  
"A real alien?" Blake asked.  
  
Rika shook her head. "Not a Scooby this time. Definitely real, and definitely a threat."  
  
"So now you guys are the Men in Black?" Bo said right before shoving a spoonful of macaroni into his mouth.  
  
"Wouldn't be the first time," Rika said. "With all these aliens coming to Earth, someone's got to keep them under control."  
  
Shirley nearly laughed out loud as Bo spat out chewed up macaroni and cheese onto his tray. "You mean to tell me," he said, his voice slightly rising despite the untold agreement not to let Molly find out about Strangers' Club business, "that aliens come here on a regular basis?"  
  
"Of course," Rika said matter-of-factly. "We're a fascinating species, in their opinion."  
  
"Bart's gotta be excited about that," Blake said.  
  
"He was rather enthusiastic about that part," Rika commented. "That's why he wanted to go on this assignment."  
  
Shirley looked at Rika with interest. "So, how do these aliens act compared to us?"  
  
"Behavior-wise, they're just like us," Rika said. "To be honest, we should be more concerned about humans than aliens." She noticed the paperback lying next to Bo's tray and picked it up. "'Current Urban Legends'?"  
  
"It's an interesting read," Shirley commented.  
  
Rika opened the book and skimmed the table of contents. Shirley, Bo, and Blake watched as she flipped through the book, stopped, and flipped through it again. She closed the book and put it back next to Bo's tray. "You're right," she said. "It is...interesting."  
  
Shirley raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask something, Rika spoke. "Rather quiet around here recently, don't you think?"  
  
"Yes," Shirley acknowledged. "I've only read about commonplace crimes in the paper, so far."  
  
"Something tells me that won't last long," Rika commented as she took a sip of water.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Bo asked.  
  
"Oh, just a hunch," Rika said, starting on her lunch as she tried to focus on eating instead of glaring at the blonde sitting a good distance away from her.  
  
As she watching the small group, Molly smiled as she looked at her latest target while pretending to listen to the girl sitting next to her. After taking a sip of water and managing to make out "Then this guy..." from the side, she resumed her watch and pondered her next move.  
  
*Soon,* she thought, her eyes still on her chosen target. *Soon.*  
  
* * * * *  
  
Redington's airport swarmed with people that day. Some were on their way to some business trip or conference. Some were determined to see a beloved or dying relative while others wondered why they had to go in the first place. Others had just gotten off planes coming in from cities like Tokyo and New York.  
  
Security had been no problem for the girl since she cooperated with them as much as possible. Her backpack had been opened, and she made sure they didn't disturb anything inside too much, especially the small plastic box residing in the bag's medium-sized pocket and the other item she promised to deliver. As for the spiral medallion she wore around her neck, she simply told them it was a gift from a good friend as she placed it inside the plastic bowl before passing through the metal detector.  
  
"I must admit, you're doing a good job so far," she said cheerfully as she picked up her backpack and her personal items.  
  
After retrieving her suitcase from the rotating conveyer belt, she was heading towards the exit when something got her attention. A man in a Canucks jacket had just bumped into a well-dressed man who apparently either participated in a rigorous muscle building routine or used steroids stealthily. After excusing himself, the man walked away. The girl's suspicious eyes focused on the small piece of leather he held in his hands, and she watched as the man went to the bathroom. Frowning, she made her way past the river of people and entered the nearby women's bathroom.  
  
Five minutes later, the girl slipped out of the bathroom and blended in with the exiting crowd. As she passed through the sliding doors, she allowed a small smile to cross her face. From there, she went off to get a cab ride. Coincidentally, she passed the man she had seen earlier. She noticed how tightly his fists were clenched as he marched back towards the terminal.  
  
Once inside, the man found a security guard. "My wallet's been stolen, and I think I know who did it," he said angrily, following up with a description of the man who had brushed into him earlier.  
  
Both men questioned passersby about the man in the sports jacket, and it seemed the man would never be found until someone recalled seeing their quarry enter a nearby men's bathroom.  
  
The pickpocket victim seized the witness in his arms. "Are you sure?" he said, inhaling and exhaling through his nostrils as he shook him hard. Behind him, the security guard did his best to force the release of the poor fellow.  
  
"I swear, he went in there," the witness said shakily.  
  
The muscular man released the witness, and he and the guard made their way there, only to find a crowd of people gathered there. Determined to retrieve his property, the wronged man brushed the people aside and burst into the bathroom with the security guard. Inside, they found a few more people gathered at the far end of the room. Their gaze seemed to be transfixed on something.  
  
"Outta my way!" the man yelled as he brushed them aside, determined to administer his brand of justice before the authorities would deal with him.  
  
What he saw next made him freeze in his tracks and gasp. The security guard, ready to take the suspect away and turn him over to the police, also stared at the sight before them.  
  
Their quarry was leaning against the far side of the tiled wall. To be more accurate, he was part of it; he was now the color of porcelain. His arms and legs were bent back, but only his open hands and knees were visible. It looked like he had tried to escape the wall, but it had somehow swallowed him. His eyes were fixed forward, and his mouth was open.  
  
The man found his wallet open right in front of the feet of the statue man with its contents spilled all over the floor. He scooped up his identification card, his credit cards, his spare change, and his paper money. Fingering his money, he found slits in the bills. He noticed the switchblade knife at the base of the wall and was about to show it to the guard when he heard a deep gasping noise from above. Looking upward, the man found the statue's face trying to move. Standing up, he faced the statue, and he swore that the eyeballs moved to focus on him, albeit with a lot of effort.  
  
"H...H...Help...me..." the statue man pleaded weakly, his mouth barely moving.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 1 


	3. Chapter 2

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 2  
by HA  
  
For Shirley and her friends, the school day went by without anything unusual happening. Although Stink managed to make his mixture explode into a stink cloud in the science lab, no one was really surprised. Thankfully, the smell didn't transfer into anyone's clothes.  
  
As the school day ended, Shirley noticed that Rika was talking to a girl with a hair bow leaning on a bicycle next to the school entrance. When Shirley got closer, she saw that it was Sara Stanley, the secretary for the Strangers' Club. Judging from the gasps of air the blond girl took along with holding her chest, Shirley concluded that she had pedaled pretty fast. She advanced slowly on the two and listened in.  
  
"...you're sure?" she heard Rika said.  
  
Sara took another gasp. "Positive."  
  
"I see. We'll have to..."  
  
Rika had stopped, and Shirley knew why. The Stranger had spotted her, and now was looking at her.  
  
"Hi, Shirley," Sara greeted after catching her breath some more. "Boy, that was quite a...trip..."  
  
"My grandfather's sending a limo to pick me up," Rika said. "We can drop you off, Sara."  
  
"Thanks," Sara said, gasping. "Never really had to pedal so much, but..."  
  
"Here it is now," Rika said.  
  
A long white limousine showed up just as Rika finished speaking. After parking the car, the driver stepped out. "Miss Tamura," he said.  
  
"Put Sara's bike inside," Rika said. "She'll be riding with us."  
  
"As you wish," the driver said, taking the bike from Sara, who looked relieved.  
  
"I'll help you there," Shirley said, taking one side of the bike.  
  
"Oh no, I can manage," the driver said. "All in a day's work."  
  
"If you insist," Shirley said, allowing the driver to carry the full weight of the bike.  
  
While the driver placed the bike inside the limousine, Rika spoke to Shirley. "See you tomorrow," she said before heading to the car with Sara.  
  
Blake appeared behind Shirley as the limousine proceeded to leave the school grounds. "What was that about?"  
  
Shirley continued to watch the limousine drive off. "Stranger business, apparently."  
  
"Looks like it's something they want to keep to themselves," Blake said.  
  
"I'd have to agree," Shirley said. "I strongly believe we'll find out what it is soon enough."  
  
"What makes you think that?" Blake asked.  
  
Shirley pulled out a transceiver from her backpack. "Because I planted a listening device on Sara's bike."  
  
Blake stared at her. "How can you afford all this equipment?"  
  
"Most girls spend their money on clothes, makeup, and jewelry," Shirley stated. "I tend to be more practical in my purchases." She turned on the transceiver, and it crackled to life as she placved it on the ground. "Now, shall we find out what our friends in the Strangers' Club are up to?"  
  
Blake nodded his agreement, and Shirley handed him one half of a headphone. She took the other, and both sat down and proceeded to listen in to the Strangers' conversation.  
  
"I'm surprised you just took your bike to Sussex to tell me instead of just using the comlink," they heard Rika say.  
  
"Well, the comlinks aren't exactly public knowledge, and someone might be suspicious about a calculator-like communications device," they heard Sara answer.  
  
"A good point," Rika said. "Are you sure it's here?"  
  
"Positive, especially after what happened at the airport," Sara said. "Took a while for him to return to normal."  
  
The two junior detectives heard Rika sigh. "We'd better find her fast. You know which hotel she checked into?"  
  
"Yep. Unfortunately, she left."  
  
"Looks like she's gone off to find a gaming shop. Let's find her before she does something else."  
  
Shirley and Blake listened closely as more details came in, and after a minute, only the sounds of traffic and the car radio were heard. "Intriguing, wouldn't you say?" Shirley asked as she put everything away.  
  
"'Intriguing' is only the tip of the iceberg," Blake replied. "So, what's the plan?"  
  
"Find out what's going on, of course," Shirley said as she walked to the nearby bike rack to get her bicycle. "Looks like we're heading downtown, like Rika said."  
  
Blake joined her. "Shouldn't we get Bo to help us out?"  
  
"Bo's got work after school, and his parents have really been needing his help," Shirley said, putting on her helmet. "We shouldn't bother him with this."  
  
"Are you sure?" Blake asked.  
  
"I think we can handle this ourselves," Shirley said. "Besides, the trail will get cold if we don't hurry."  
  
The two junior detectives took off on their bikes, but unknown to both of them, Bo had stepped out of the school and had been listening in to their conversation. He had caught a few pieces of it and knew they were going downtown. Part of his not listening closely was due to his listening position, but he had been concentrating on the growing pressure of his hands as he squeezed themm into fists at his sides.  
  
"Hey, Bo!"  
  
Bo quickly turned around and found himself facing Alicia Gianelli. "Don't do that," he said as he clutched his heart and caught his breath.  
  
"Sorry about that." Alicia watched as Shirley and Blake vanished into the distance. "Wonder where they're going?"  
  
"Who cares?" Bo said, still looking where they were as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.  
  
"They've been spending a lot of time together, haven't they?" Alicia asked.  
  
"So what?" Bo said, looking down at the ground and kicking the air.  
  
Alicia stepped out in front of Bo. "You know, maybe she wouldn't be spending so much time with him if you just told her."  
  
Bo froze, and his gaze fell on Alicia. "Tell her what?"  
  
"Oh, you know." Alicia's mouth formed a big grin. "Something like, 'Shirley, I've been in love with you ever since I saw you.'"  
  
A red blush immediately filled Bo's face. "Wh-wh-what?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Bo," Alicia said. "It's obvious you like her."  
  
"Don't know what you're talking about," Bo said, looking away in an attempt to hide the redness on his face.  
  
Alicia moved to where Bo was facing, only to see him turn towards the opposite direction. "Bo! You've got to be honest with her, or you'll lose her forever," she continued.  
  
"You're nuts," Bo said, his face still red. "Anyway, I've got to go to work." Without looking at Alicia, he ran for his own bike, and in seconds, he was going in the same direction as Shirley and Blake.  
  
As she watched Bo disappear, Alicia shook her head with a bemused smile. "Boys." Leaving it at that remark, she headed towards the dormitory so she could get dressed for work.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Walking toward the dorms, Molly continued to talk into her cell phone. "So you actually did something right? Well then, you will get the bonus we agreed on. Meet me at the appointed place, and I'll give you what you deserve."  
  
As she hung up, she allowed herself to grin. So far, everything was going according to plan, and as long as everything stayed that way, nothing would stop her, not even a certain blue-eyed do-gooder who constantly put her nose where...  
  
"Hey, Molly!" someone yelled, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
Molly turned around and found herself facing Stink Patterson. "What do you want?"  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to see you," Stink said with a big grin.  
  
"A sentiment I don't share with you," Molly said sharply. "Now, if you excuse me, I have important matters to prepare for."  
  
"Oh, come on," Stink said, stepping in front of Molly. "You can spare a few minutes to talk. Maybe you'll be interested in a movie or dinner."  
  
Molly glared at the lovesick boy. "You must be delusional," she said as she brushed him aside to get into the dormitory. Without looking back, she proceeded inside and slammed the door in front of Stink.  
  
Stink stood before the door for a moment. "Oh, playing hard to get, are we?" he said in a Scottish accent. "Well, lassie, looks like I have to really try harder."  
  
With that, he opened the door and entered, hoping to somehow wear down the defenses of the pretty blonde.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Having checked into her hotel, the girl decided to take a walking tour of Redington. With her backpack slung over her shoulder, she took in the sights while eating a recently purchased hot dog.  
  
As she finished her snack, she spotted something she liked. She stopped in front of the building and paid special attention to the glass pane window, which read "Carson's Collectibles." What got her attention was the sign at the corner that read "Monster Battler trading card game sold here." Upon reading that, she reached into her backpack and pulled out the little plastic box. Looking through the window, she saw kids her age and younger and a few older people hanging out near the comic book displays, looking at the collectible action figures and posters, and playing the aforementioned card game at tables. Smiling, she went inside.  
  
Once inside, she stood over a table where a Battle between two boys was taking place and joined the small crowd gathered there. Taking a postion from which she could see both boys' hands, she assessed the situation and noted that one boy had two Monsters on the Field while the other had nothing except a single Magic or Trap Card. However, despite the lopsidedness of the Battle, she knew that despite an apparent victory by one, the other still had a chance.  
  
"Ha! I'll sacrifice my two Monsters to summon...this!" The first boy placed his two brown Monster Cards into the nearby discard pile and slapped another brown card faceup onto the table. "Behold, the all-powerful Gazuga the Ape Lord! He'll wipe out all your Life Points with one attack!"  
  
The girl looked at Gazuga, a giant red ape wearing spiked armor and a skull for a helmet while wielding a large spiked club. With an Attack of 2700, he was sure to win the Battle for his owner.  
  
"Looks like overkill to me," someone in the crowd remarked.  
  
The girl noticed the two calculators on the table. Gazuga's owner had 2000 Life Points left while his opponent only had 300. She silently agreed that using Gazuga was definitely overkill.  
  
"Hey, whatever works," the first boy said. "Gazuga, finish him off."  
  
"I don't think so," the second boy said. "I'll activate my Trap Card now."  
  
"I knew it," someone next to the girl said in a low voice.  
  
"A Trap?" the first boy exclaimed. "I thought I got rid of them all."  
  
"Forgot about my Red Digger, huh?" the second boy said. "His effect allowed me to get back...this!" Everyone watched as he flipped over his facedown card, revealing a red card with a picture of a Monster being blown away by an energy beam bouncing off a smooth surface.  
  
The first boy gasped. "Not Reflective Barrier of Protection!"  
  
"There goes your Gazuga," the second boy said as the first boy placed Gazuga into his discard pile. He drew a card from his deck. "Now, I'm going to finish this Battle."  
  
"With what?" the first boy said, looking at his hand. "You don't have any strong Monsters left."  
  
"With this," the second boy said, showing his opponent an orange card with a bird-headed knight armed with two swords. "I'm Summoning Falcon Swordsman to the Field," he announced as he placed the Monster on the table.  
  
The first boy gulped. "Uh oh."  
  
"You've got that right," the second boy said. "Falcon Swordsman will attack your Life Points directly for 1000, and since he can attack twice, I'm wiping you out." As his opponent calculated the damage, he said, "That's game."  
  
Immediately, the spectators cheered and applauded the second boy, who let out a sigh of relief. He took the attention as humbily as he could and combined the discard pile with his hand and the rest of his deck. As the victor reshuffled his cards while talking with the spectators, the first boy was looking through his own deck. He snarled and muttered to himself as he tried to figure out what went wrong.  
  
The girl appeared behind him. "You should've used the Magic Crush in your hand to destroy his Trap," she advised.  
  
The first boy frowned at her. "I forgot, okay? I thought he was bluffing with some useless Magic Card after I destroyed all his Traps."  
  
"A good Battler always pays attention during the Battle," the girl said.  
  
"Is that so?" The first boy rose quickly from his seat and glared at the girl. "You think you're so hot? I think I can beat you!" he declared, eyeing the girl's box.  
  
"Whoa, Bruce," the second boy said. "You don't have to..."  
  
"Stay out of this, Nick!" the first boy warned. "I challenge you to a Battle," he told the girl. "I'll show you who's the good Battler!"  
  
The girl shrugged. "If you insist," she answered.  
  
Nick got out of his seat and offered it to the girl, who accepted it and sat down. As Bruce shuffled his deck, the girl pulled hers out of her box and started shuffling.  
  
"Prepare to lose," Bruce said as he slid his deck over to the girl.  
  
"We shall see," the girl said as she slid hers towards Bruce.  
  
The crowd around the table watched as both kids cut each other's decks and slid them back to their owners. "Since you're new here, I'll go easy on you and let you go first," Bruce said. "After all, being the local Monster Battler champ, I'm sure I'm gonna win," he added as he drew five cards from his deck.  
  
"You didn't look like it when you lost earlier," the girl remarked matter-of-factly as she drew her five cards.  
  
Bruce glared at his opponent. "He got lucky, but this time, I know what I'm doing, and when I'm through with you, I'm destroying him next."  
  
The girl looked at her hand and reached for her deck. "I should warn you. I'm very good at games, and I've never lost."  
  
Bruce smirked. "Well, sweetheart, this is one game you'll get beaten at. Badly."  
  
"Oh, I highly doubt that," the girl said coolly as she drew a card. Glancing at her current hand, she added, "Now, let's Battle."  
  
With that, the Battle began. The crowd grew, and the store owner prepared himself to maintain control.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 2 


	4. Chapter 3

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 3  
  
by HA  
  
"Here," Molly said, handing over the thick envelope stuffed full of money to the person before her in the Sussex Academy parking lot.  
  
The young man grinned as he received his reward and stuffed it into his jeans pocket. "Been a pleasure doing business with ya."  
  
"Ahem," Molly said, clearing her throat loudly.  
  
"What? You think I'd double-cross ya?" the young man said as he pulled out a manila envelope from the inside of his leather jacket. "Here's what you wanted. You'll find it fits what you were looking for."  
  
Molly took the envelope, opened it carefully, and gently pulled out its contents. "Yes, this will do nicely," she said, smiling wickedly.  
  
"Then my job is done," the young man said, opening his car door.  
  
"Just remember the...provisos of our agreement," Molly warned.  
  
"Gotcha," the young man said as he started his rusty, dent-ridden car. "My lips are staying zipped."  
  
Keeping herself at a safe distance, Molly watched as the car spat out smoke from its exhaust pipe as it departed. After sliding her newly acquired item into the envelope, she held it before her eyes. During her walk to the dorms, she reviewed her plan and foresaw the outcome. *This time, Holmes, I'll be the victor.*  
  
* * * * *  
  
Eventually, Shirley and Blake found the hotel mentioned by the two Strangers. Once there, they recognized the white limousine. Shirley signaled Blake to hide behind the nearby wall, and the two rolled their bikes there just in time, for when Shirley peeked out, Rika and Sara were walking out of the building.  
  
"Too bad the desk clerk wasn't specific on which area she was heading to," Sara said. "It would've saved us a drive around town."  
  
"A sightseeing walk?" Rika said.  
  
"You know her," Sara said.  
  
"I do," Rika said, sounding almost bitter. "Just how many game and collectibles shops are in this city?"  
  
"I'd estimate maybe one for every two to three blocks, and we need to keep in mind the one at the mall," Sara guessed. "Of course, considering what she likes, we can narrow that number down."  
  
"Unfortunately, what she likes is pretty popular right now," Rika commented.  
  
"Yeah. Ariana doesn't like it, though," Sara said. "She feels the monsters in Monster Battler aren't cute and cuddly."  
  
"She should look at some of the Angel Subtypes," Rika said. "I'm sure she'd like to have those as pets."  
  
"They're weak, though," Sara said. "They really need to use Equip Magic Cards in order to stand up to the big boys."  
  
Rika sighed. "Guess we'd better start with the most prominent ones."  
  
"Yeah. It's times like these that I wish Katrina was here," Sara said.  
  
"Bart's a little green, so having her on his team is a good thing," Rika remarked. "First New York, then the airport...what's next?"  
  
Shirley ducked down when she saw Rika looking her way. "What's wrong?" Sara asked.  
  
A long pause occurred before Rika spoke again. "Nothing. Must be my imagination. Let's go."  
  
Shirley heard the door slam and the limousine leave. Looking out again, she confirmed the car's absence, but something got her attention. Namely, her hand was touching something soft.  
  
"Um, Shirley..." Blake said.  
  
Shirley looked at him, and then she shifted her gaze from his face to below it. When she had hidden herself against the wall, she had pinned Blake's hand against it. Without a word, she quickly removed her hand from his. "So, what do you think?" she asked, trying her best not to blush.  
  
"Well, all we know is that we have a lot of game shops to search, including the one at the mall," Blake said. "Of course, I wish we knew who they were searching for."  
  
"Judging from how they acted, someone who could pose a danger," Shirley said. "A pity they didn't give us a physical description of the girl."  
  
"Yeah," Blake said.  
  
"And what is this 'Monster Battler' they keep talking about?" Shirley wondered.  
  
"A TCG."  
  
Shirley and Blake watched as Bo showed up with his bike at his side. He looked like he had pedaled against a wind machine, and his breathing was rather deep.  
  
"Bo?" Shirley said, sounding genuinely surprised.  
  
"How'd you know where to find us?" Blake asked.  
  
"Been following you as best I could," Bo admitted as he wiped his brow and caught his breath.  
  
"I thought you had work," Shirley said.  
  
"Dad's been feeling better, and my mom can handle things now," Bo said. "Besides, you guys might need my help."  
  
"Well, you can start by telling me what a TCG is," Shirley said.  
  
"Trading Card Game," Blake said. "It's a card game with specialized cards you can trade with your friends or sell."  
  
"Right," Bo said. Although Shirley was perhaps one of the smartest persons he knew, it still amazed him when some aspects of pop culture escaped her.  
  
"So what's Monster Battler?" Shirley asked curiously.  
  
Bo was about to explain what Monster Battler while pointing out that some of his younger cousins played it when Blake spoke. "It's a TCG where you use Monsters to fight each other. Beyond that, I don't know much about it."  
  
Bo took his chance. "Essentially, each player has 8000 Life Points, and the goal of the game is to reduce your opponent's Life Points to zero. You can also win by decking him out..."  
  
"Decking him out?" Shirley said.  
  
"Making him run out of cards," Bo said quickly. "Anyway, you play Monster Cards that have an Attack rating and a Defense rating. Now, you can Summon--that is, put the Monster face up--or you can Set--that's putting it in face down horizontal position--Monsters, and..."  
  
Shirley held up her hand. "I believe you can tell us while we search."  
  
"No problem, although the rulebook would help explain things better," Bo said, "and don't get me started on the individual card rulings by Miraino."  
  
"Miraino?" Shirley said.  
  
"The creators of Monster Battler," Blake said. "It's a Japanese video game company."  
  
"They make good games," Bo added.  
  
"Ah," Shirley said. "Now, let's begin searching game shops, shall we?"  
  
"Why don't we try Carson's Collectables?" Bo suggested. "A lot of kids hang out there and play Monster Battler."  
  
"Good idea," Shirley said. "Let's go."  
  
Mounting her bike, Shirley took off, leaving the two boys to watch her. Getting on his bike, Blake opened his mouth to say something, but Bo shot him a look.  
  
"Not one word," he said before riding off.  
  
Blake refrained from responding and followed his friends.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"...and I believe that's game," the girl said.  
  
With his hand facedown, Bruce stared at the Field. The girl's side had the dreaded Yamata no Orochi, a fierce Dragon known in Monster Battler for its high Attack Power. Bruce had no Monsters on the Field to defend his Life Points due to bad drawing, but he had Set his own Reflective Barrier of Protection just in case the demonic behemoth attacked. The problem was that it couldn't be activated thanks to the presence of the Dragon's companion, the dreaded Trap-deactivating Machine known as Nega-Psycho.  
  
Nick let out a whistle. "Um, I think that makes it...oh...ten out of ten Battles in her favor, Bruce?"  
  
"Ah, shaddap," Bruce grumbled as he glared at the girl, who smiled at him as she shuffled her deck.  
  
"I did warn you," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Just be thankful you didn't bet any cards, Bruce," a girl in pigtails said. "Otherwise, you'd be so screwed when the next tournament comes."  
  
The crowd burst into laughter, much to Bruce's displeasure. "Okay, this time I'm sure I'm gonna beat ya," he told the girl as he got his deck ready.  
  
"We shall see," the girl said as she slid her deck over to Bruce to cut.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As the three detectives headed towards Carson's Collectibles based on Bo's directions, Shirley listened carefully to her best friend's explanation of the Monster Battler Trading Card Game. "You're right," she said after he finished. "I do need to read the rulebook."  
  
"You get used to it after a while," Bo said. "At least, that's what my cousins say."  
  
"So how long until we reach Carson's?" Blake asked.  
  
"Probably ten more minutes if we don't run into any traffic," Bo answered.  
  
Shirley heard a horn honk behind her and looked back. "Something tells me that we're about to encounter a brief interruption in our itinerary."  
  
The Knight Foundation limousine had appeared behind them, and its driver honked loudly again. The driver stuck his head out the side window and yelled, "Pull over now!"  
  
The three teens pulled over their bikes toward a nearby alley, and the car parked in front of a building. "Wonder what's going on?" Bo asked.  
  
"We're about to find out," Blake said as Rika and Sara approached them.  
  
Rika looked at Shirley. "Should I be surprised that you're here?"  
  
"And what about you?" Shirley asked back. "Who are you looking for?"  
  
"That...is none of your concern," Rika said, glaring at the amateur sleuth. "This is Strangers' business, Shirley. Stay out of it."  
  
"Who is she?" Shirley asked, meeting Rika's glare.  
  
Rika's eyes narrowed. "Stay out of it," she warned.  
  
"Believe us, that would be better for you in the long run," Sara added, although she sounded much nicer than her colleague.  
  
"Hopefully, you'll come to your senses," Rika said as she reached into her blazer pocket. "Oh, one more thing," she said as she pulled something out and held it between her thumb and her pointer finger. Shirley recognized it as her listening device. "I must admit that you've got some nerve bugging us." She immediately crushed the device and dropped it to the ground. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she walked back to the limousine.  
  
Sara frowned as she saw the look of determination in Shirley's eyes. Finally, she followed Rika, and a minute later, Shirley and the others heard the limousine's engine start up and the sound of the car leaving.  
  
"I'd probably do as they say, Shirley," Bo recommended as the three teens rolled their bikes out of the alley. "After all, they probably are better equipped to handle whoever they're after. Plus, considering what Rika can do with those fancy gloves of her, we'd better not mess with her."  
  
Judging from the thoughtful look on Shirley's face, Bo knew his advice would be disregarded. "We'd better keep going to Carson's," she said finally, proving Bo's suspicions to be true.  
  
Bo groaned as he mounted his bike. For a moment, he pondered actually returning to his family's fish store and risking getting grounded rather than find the unknown quarry his best friend and the Strangers were after. However, when he saw Shirley and Blake side by side, he let out a growl and forced himself to pedal after them.  
  
* * * * *  
  
During the time the girl Battled at Carson's Collectibles, the onlookers couldn't help but admire her. For one thing, she didn't use a calculator to keep track of her Life Points. She would occasionally say out loud her Life Point total and correctly calculated any loss or gain to them. Even when the calculation required a subtraction of something-fifty, she got it right. As for her Battling, she knew what she was doing. No matter what card she drew, she managed to use it properly.  
  
Most of the guys focused on her physical features. The newcomer was rather slender in body shape like a ballerina, and her black hair ran down her shoulders. Her brown almond-shaped eyes added to her exotic appeal, and they seemed to look inward into people's souls.  
  
The girl had been right. No matter who challenged her, they always lost. No matter what type of deck they ran, the girl always found some way to overcome the odds. Eventually, she defeated all the Battlers in the store, much to the amazement of the owner.  
  
"You're quite good," the owner told her after she wrapped up another win.  
  
"Thank you," the girl said as she shuffled her deck.  
  
"I've never seen you around here before," the owner said.  
  
"I'm just visiting," the girl replied. She looked at her cards. "Ah, if only the Grand Kaiser Dragon was in English..."  
  
Nick, who was sitting next to her with his gold-sleeved deck out, heard her. "The Grand Kaiser Dragon? You mean that one Secret Rare Monster with 4500 Attack and 3000 Defense? That's one of the strongest Dragon cards in the entire game, and I heard it's hard to pull. I saw a picture of it online once."  
  
"Me too," Bruce added, still smarting a little from yet another crushing defeat at the hands of the girl. "Too bad it's not in English yet, or I'd be dealing death and destruction to everyone here."  
  
The girl reached into her deck box. "Would you like to see a Grand Kaiser Dragon?"  
  
Immediately, all interested Battlers raced over to the girl as she pulled out a card in a golden sleeve, a bright contrast to the black ones she and most of the kids used for their cards. Above the picture of a majestic golden winged dragon with opaque white eyes, a single silver horn, and a long main of white hair, the Japanese characters announcing the dreaded Monster's name were written in a strange mix of gold and silver. The symbol of the Light Attribute, a golden sphere, was located to the right of eight stars. Below the picture was the Monster's description and its Attack and Defense Points, which were 4500 and 3000, respectively.  
  
"Whoa," one boy exclaimed.  
  
"What does the description say?" another boy asked. "Is it an effect?"  
  
"No, dummy, it's a Ritual Monster," yet another boy said. "The card's purple, not orange."  
  
"You're correct," the girl said. "Permit me to read it to you," she offered, and she did. "'This Monster can only be Summoned by the Magic Card [Sacred Dragon's Flame] and by Sacrificing Monsters with a level total of eight.'" She pulled out a green card with a golden flame in a silver brazier surrounded by dragon statues. "This is the necessary Ritual Card, and it's much easier to pull this than the actual Monster," she added.  
  
Bruce blinked. "You can read Japanese?"  
  
"It would be silly of me not to be able to read the language of my homeland," the girl said.  
  
"You're Japanese?" a girl with a ponytail asked.  
  
"That is correct," the girl answered.  
  
"Whoa," Nick said. "So you must know a lot about Monster Battler over there and what's coming over here."  
  
"I do, indeed," the girl answered, putting the Grand Kaiser Dragon and its Ritual away.  
  
"How are the tournaments over there?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Very active," the girl answered. "We take the game very seriously."  
  
"How many tournaments have you won?" the boy who was wrong about the card's description asked.  
  
"I've never played," the girl answered. "I've just...observed them now and then."  
  
"Why don't you play?" Nick asked.  
  
"I'm too good," the girl answered quickly with a little laugh. "Gets rather boring when you keep winning."  
  
"Your English is quite good," the owner complemented the girl.  
  
"Why, thank you," the girl said with a nod. "I had a good teacher."  
  
"Any chance you want to sell that GKD to me?" the owner said with a smile. "I know some people who won't wait for it to come out in English."  
  
"No!" the girl said, holding her deck box closer to her and narrowing her eyes at the owner. "This card was a gift from my father, and I would never dream of selling it."  
  
"Oh, I was just joking," the owner said, raising his hands. "I'm sorry if you took me seriously."  
  
"Mike tends to do that," Nick said.  
  
The girl calmed down. "I accept your apology."  
  
"So, do you have a name?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Why don't we call her 'The Girl Who Gave Bruce a Twenty Battle Losing Streak'?" Nick joked, earning him a punch on the arm from Bruce.  
  
"My name is Yume," the girl said simply.  
  
"So besides beating every Battler here, what brings you to Canada?" Nick asked.  
  
"Oh, to see an old friend," Yume answered, a faint smile crossing her face.  
  
Seconds later, the door opened, and a young man wearing a leather jacket entered the store. "Everyone, stand up and rejoice, for I have returned!" he declared.  
  
"Oh, brother," Nick said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"It's Billy," Bruce added.  
  
Yume raised an eyebrow at the newcomer as he headed towards the glass counter. "Who's he?"  
  
"Our resident wannabe," Nick answered, keeping his voice down. "He's good, but for some odd reason, he thinks he's the best."  
  
"He never participates in Mike's tournaments, though," Bruce added. "Also, he just Battles the weaker players."  
  
"Shopkeeper! Attend my needs!" Billy yelled.  
  
"He seems...happy," Yume commented as the owner made his way to the counter.  
  
Billy slapped his hand on the glass top much to the annoyance of the owner. "Mike, go get me that Omni Angel!"  
  
"Finally have enough money to pay for it?" the owner asked.  
  
"Oh yeah," Billy answered, pulling out some bills.  
  
"It's a shame I don't have it," the owner said.  
  
"What?" Billy clenched his teeth. "That card had a big price on it! No one here could afford it!" he yelled, motioning toward the other Battlers.  
  
"I could," Nick admitted, raising his hand. "I've been doing odd jobs around the neighborhood and saving my money. I needed Omni to complete my Light deck," he said, patting his deck  
  
"Unlike some people we know," Bruce said. "Maybe you should give up Monster Battler and focus on fixing your car, Billy."  
  
Billy snarled and walked up to Nick. "You knew I needed that card, Nick." He thrust out he money he had shown to the owner. "I'll give you this much for it!"  
  
Nick firmly shook his head. "No way. You probably got that money from stealing something for somebody."  
  
"You calling me dishonest?" Billy said, getting into Nick's face. "Why you little..."  
  
Billy swung his hand at Nick's deck and knocked it over. The poor boy could only try to catch his falling cards, but most of them ended up on the floor below.  
  
"You jerk!" Nick yelled as he dove for the floor, ready to recover his cards. Yume and Bruce ducked down to help him, and the owner left the counter.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Billy said mockingly. "Here, let me help..."  
  
With all four picking up cards, Nick's deck was reassembled on the table. "There, no harm done," Billy said, brushing off his hands.  
  
"Get out of here, Billy, or I'll ban you for good," the owner warned.  
  
Billy raised his hands. "Fine, I'm gone." He walked towards the door. "Catch ya later, losers," he said as he left.  
  
Yume frowned at the door as Nick looked through his deck. "Is he always so pleasant?" she asked dryly.  
  
"Well, once he dented a table with his fist after losing to some kid," Nick recalled.  
  
"I see," Yume said.  
  
Nick gasped. "My Omni Angel! It's gone!"  
  
Quickly, the entire Battler population gathered around Nick. "Are you sure?" someone asked.  
  
"Yeah," Nick answered frantically as he searched his deck. "That jerk Billy must've swiped it while we were picking up my cards."  
  
"Maybe you just forgot it at home?" a boy asked.  
  
"No way," Nick answered. "I had it in my deck. Yume knows. She Battled me. Right, Yume?"  
  
Yume had vanished.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Billy chuckled to himself as he looked at the card in his hand. "Can't believe it was so easy," he said, grinning at the armored angel in his hand. "Now I'll show 'em who's the best Battler."  
  
"Not if you give back that card you stole," someone said.  
  
Billy stopped in his tracks and looked around. "Who said that?" he demanded.  
  
"Come down to the alley behind you and see," the voice said.  
  
For a moment, Billy wanted to just keep on walking to his car, which he parked in a nearby lot. However, he recalled how a simple arrest could cost him greatly. No longer a juvenile in the eyes of the law, he knew he'd get a stricter sentence for stealing than when he was younger. Besides, he had his fists to back him up.  
  
Walking into the alley, Billy noticed the large amount of litter on the ground. A nearby dumpster was almost full of garbage bags. Flies hovered around and occasionally landed to taste anything edible to them among the putrid mess.  
  
"I'm over here."  
  
Billy looked ahead and saw someone standing at the dark end of the alley. Pocketing the Omni Angel card, he stepped forward, ready to let his fists do the talking. "Okay, wise guy, what's the big...?"  
  
"You stole that card," the other said.  
  
"What card?" Billy said innocently.  
  
"The card you're hiding in your pocket. It doesn't belong to you."  
  
Billy looked closely and concluded that the other was definitely a girl, and from what he could tell, a girl who was trying to copy Sailor Moon's hairstyle. Wanting to get a closer look, he found himself unable to advance any further. He tried to move back, but he couldn't move his feet at all. "Hey, what's the big deal?" he yelled.  
  
The girl smiled. "Why, we're going to play a game."  
  
"A game?" Billy exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, and we'll be playing for that card you stole," the girl explained. "If I win, I get the card, and if you lose..."  
  
"I don't keep it, right?" Billy said.  
  
"Correct, but you'll also have to pay a Dark Penalty," the girl finished, and Billy didn't like the wicked grin that crossed her face. "You see, I like games, and I don't like people who break the rules."  
  
Billy gulped. "What game are we playing?"  
  
"Why, it's something you like," the girl said. "Monster Battler."  
  
"Monster Battler?" Feeling relieved, Billy laughed as he pulled out his deck. "I'm a great Battler! You won't stand a chance against me."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
Billy noticed that it was becoming darker in the alley. "H-h-hey!" he exclaimed shakily. "What's going on?"  
  
"We need some privacy for our little Battle," the girl said, "and believe me, this Battle will be like nothing you've ever played before."  
  
Soon, nothing but darkness surrounded the two Battlers. Billy found himself gripping his deck tightly, and the girl finally stepped out so he could see her.  
  
"Now, let's play," she said, grinning.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 3 


	5. Chapter 4

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 4  
by HA  
  
Eventually, Shirley and her friends made it to Carson's Collectibles, and they found the Knight Foundation limousine parked next to it. Dashing in, they found Rika and Sara talking to some of the kids there.  
  
"So you did see her?" Shirley heard Rika ask a boy whose eyes were red from crying.  
  
Wiping away a tear, Nick nodded. "Yeah, she was here."  
  
"Managed to kick all our butts at Monster Battler," Bruce said. "Plus, she had a real Grand Kaiser Dragon."  
  
"Did you catch her name?" Sara asked.  
  
"She said it was Yume. Didn't catch her last name," Bruce answered, and Shirley made sure to memorize that.  
  
"Did you notice anything around her neck?" Rika pressed on.  
  
"Not really," a girl spoke up.  
  
"Um..." Nick thought for a moment. "She was wearing some kind of necklace. I didn't see what it was, but I saw the chain around her neck."  
  
"Ah," Rika said, nodding.  
  
With Bo and Blake behind her, Shirley made her way through the shop. Standing besides Rika, she briefly noted the look of annoyance on the Stranger's face as she noticed her. "What happened to you?" the young sleuth asked.  
  
Nick sniffled a little. "My card got stolen. An Omni Angel."  
  
Before Shirley could further inquire on what an Omni Angel was, Rika broke in. "Someone stole something from you?"  
  
Nick nodded. "We think it was Billy."  
  
"He's this wannabe jerk who comes here now and then," Bruce explained quickly.  
  
"So when did she leave?" Rika asked.  
  
"When I wanted to ask her about her seeing my Omni in my deck, she was gone," Nick answered.  
  
Sara looked at Rika. "That's not good."  
  
Rika didn't respond, and in an instant, she was out the door. Sara followed suit, and as the assembled Battlers watched, Shirley and her friends ran after them.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The darkness vanished, and Billy and the girl were back in the alley again. She looked down at her opponent, who was kneeling at his scattered cards.  
  
"I...I...lost?" he said, still staring blankly at his cards.  
  
The girl walked up to the boy and bent down. Searching the scattered pieces of blue-sleeved cardboard, she found what she was looking for and pocketed it. "That takes care of that," she remarked as she stood up. "Now..."  
  
With widened eyes, Billy looked up at the girl. "Um, can I get, ya know, a rematch?"  
  
Grinning, the girl pointed at him. Billy wondered if what he had seen in the darkness had damaged his sanity further because he could've swore the girl's eyes were glowing an eerie yellow.  
  
"Dark Penalty!" she yelled.  
  
* * * * *  
  
By the time Shirley and the others had reached the outside of the shop, they heard a loud scream. Along with many pedistrians, they stopped in their tracks.  
  
"This way!" Shirley said, and she ran towards the direction of the scream with the others not too far behind.  
  
As she got closer, Shirley thought she heard laughter. Arriving at an alley, she stopped and found a most remarkable sight. *What the...?*  
  
Now covered in various stains, a laughing Billy was standing in the dumpster and tossing garbage around. "Money!" he cried as he held a rotten apple and some stale French fries in his hands. "Money, money, money, and it's all mine! Mine!"  
  
Bo reached Shirley before the others. "What's going on here?" he asked as he watched Billy fill his pockets full of garbage.  
  
As the crowd grew larger in the alley, Billy danced around in the dumpster with garbage in his hands and pockets while laughing happily. "I'm in the money," he sang loudly, forcing some people to cover their ears. "I'm in the money..."  
  
"Is that guy nuts?" a man asked the woman standing next to him.  
  
"Someone call the cops," another woman suggested.  
  
Blake could only stare at the spectacle before him. "What happened to him?"  
  
Rika looked at the singing and dancing boy. "We're too late."  
  
"At least he still looks normal," Sara remarked.  
  
"It's just his mind that's gone," Bo said.  
  
A man in a jean jacket approached the dumpster. "Hey, kid," he said, reaching out for Billy, "I think it's best for you to..."  
  
Billy glared at the man and hugged his garbage closer to him. "No!" he yelled, glaring at the man. "You can't have any of it! It's mine, all mine!"  
  
The man got closer to the dumpster. "Kid, you'd better get out of there right now, or..."  
  
"All mine!" Billy yelled as he jumped onto the man. "You can't have any!" he declared as he closed his stinky hands around the man's neck. "You can't have my money!"  
  
Gasping and gagging, the poor man struggled under Billy's tight grip, and no one in the crowd wanted to step forward and help. Frowning at this, Rika walked up to the delusional lad.  
  
Seeing her, Billy let go of the man and stood up. "You too?" he asked angrily. "You can't have it! It's all mine! All...!"  
  
Rika swung her fist as hard as she could into Billy's face, and the deluded young man fell back onto the dumpster with a crash. As Billy slid to the ground unconscious with a bloody nose, Rika pulled his victim to his feet and let him go on his way.  
  
"Hopefully, that'll knock some sense into him," Blake said as the crowd murmured amongst itself.  
  
Rika shook her head gravely. "It isn't that easy, I'm afraid."  
  
"Why not?" Shirley asked.  
  
Rika looked at Billy, and then she started to walk away. "Let's go. We won't learn anything from him until he wakes up, and something tells me that'll take a while."  
  
"You didn't punch him that hard, did you?" Bo asked as the five teens left the alley.  
  
Rika continued walking without saying a word. When they had reached the limousine, she turned to Shirley. "Stay out of this," she warned before the junior detective could say anything. "Go stick with stuff like finding that poor kid's stolen card."  
  
Shirley met Rika's gaze. "You know something."  
  
Rika scowled. "This isn't a game, Shirley! Just stay out of it!"  
  
The two Strangers entered the car quickly, and Rika slammed the door hard in front of Shirley and her friends. "Somebody knows more about this than we do," Bo remarked as the limousine left.  
  
Shirley watched the limousine disappear into the daily traffic. "Let's go back to Carson's," she said.  
  
The three teens returned to Carson's Collectibles and found a different mood there. The victim of theft, Nick, was cheerfully playing Monster Battler with Bruce.  
  
"Well, things have sure lightened up around here," Bo commented.  
  
Nick looked up from his hand. "I got my Omni back," he said, beaming as he pointed to the card on his side of the Field.  
  
"How?" Blake asked.  
  
"That's the oddest thing," the owner said from the counter. "After you all left, it showed up over here," he explained, pointing to the spot in front of him.  
  
"So it just appeared out of thin air?" Bo asked incredulously.  
  
"I don't care if aliens used a transporter to put it there," Nick said happily. "I got my card back, and that's all that counts."  
  
Bo and Blake looked at Shirley, who was deep in thought. In her mind, she processed the information she had acquired.  
  
From a distance, someone was watching. Seeing Shirley pondering what was going on, she smiled.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Well, that went well," Bo remarked as he leaned back in the old chair in Shirley's attic. "Someone's making people go insane, and now the Strangers want us to stay out of it." He thought for a moment. "Hey, maybe that isn't such a bad idea after all..."  
  
"I've found something," Shirley said from her laptop computer. Once she and the boys had come up to the attic, she had been doing some web surfing based on what she knew.  
  
Blake leaned over Shirley's shoulder. "What'd you find?"  
  
Seeing how close Shirley and Blake were, Bo shot out of his seat and marched towards the computer. He almost stepped on Shirley's pet basset hound Watson, who somehow found the energy to move out of the way. "So, what'd you find?" he said, standing on Shirley's other side.  
  
Shirley pointed to the screen. "According to this, a George Shutton of New York was arrested by police yesterday for murdering his ex-girlfriend, her parents, and her six-year-old daughter."  
  
"So?" Bo said while glaring at Blake sideways.  
  
"When the police arrested him, they found him disfigured and mouthless," Shirley stated while moving the pointer to Shutton's face.  
  
"Eegh," Bo said, wincing at the sight of the ugly, mouthless man.  
  
Blake skimmed the article. "According to this, Shutton was allegedly quite the ladies' man and a smooth operator. He acted as his own lawyer during the trial. In fact, the D.A. believes he took a juror in his case out to dinner and influenced her to vote 'not guilty,' resulting in a hung jury."  
  
"Look at this," Shirley said, pointing to another piece of text.  
  
Blake read it out loud. "'According to a neighbor of Shutton, he seemed to be engaged in a game of dice.'"  
  
Bo blinked. "A game of dice?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what it says," Blake said.  
  
Shirley changed windows and revealed an article from the online version of the Redington Tribune. "Look at this," she said, pointing to the front page headline, which read "MYSTERIOUS HAPPENING AT AIRPORT."  
  
Bo skimmed the article. "Some guy got stuck in a wall?"  
  
"From the looks of things, he became part of the wall," Blake commented.  
  
"For about five minutes," Shirley said. "Apparently, after he confessed to the crime, he became normal." She read more. "Also, he mentioned that he was playing some sort of game with some girl and he lost, resulting in his rather unusual predicament."  
  
Blake thought for a moment. "Wait a minute," he said suddenly. "I'd better get my Current Urban Legends out of my bag."  
  
"Use mine," Shirley said, pointing to a nearby book on the table.  
  
"Thanks," Blake said, picking up the book and turning to the table of contents. "Yes!" he exclaimed as he found what he was looking for and began turning the pages.  
  
Bo raised an eyebrow at Blake. "Uh, Blake, what are you...?"  
  
"Found it!" Blake declared.  
  
Shirley got out of her seat and walked up to Blake. "What did you find?"  
  
"The Gamer of the Dark," Blake answered.  
  
"The what?" Bo asked.  
  
"Listen to this, guys," Blake said, skipping the introduction of the section he had opened to. "'The Gamer of the Dark is believed to be responsible for numerous abnormal punishments onto accused or confirmed criminals around the world. According to the surviving victims, she makes them play a game where losing results in a punishment that reflects the victim's crime or vice.'"  
  
"Whoa," Bo remarked.  
  
"Hmmmm..." Shirley said.  
  
"Here's an example," Blake said, paraphrasing the case in front of his eyes. "A man in Ireland was accused of killing and mutilating female college students in Dublin. Later, he was found badly mutilated by the police, yet still alive."  
  
Bo winced. "Ouch."  
  
"There's more, but what's there just says that whenever someone plays a game with this girl and loses, they really pay the price," Blake said.  
  
"So, how could the author find any first-hand accounts of the Gamer's activities?" Shirley asked.  
  
"Well, according to the book, confessing the truth to the public will end the punishment," Blake said. "However, most of the victims still suffer from nightmares about the experience and try to stay on the straight and narrow."  
  
"Talk about being scared straight," Bo said.  
  
"I guess the same will happen to that guy in the alley once he admits he stole that kid's card," Blake said.  
  
"Has anyone ever died because of this Gamer of the Dark?" Shirley asked.  
  
Blake flipped through the chapter. "Um, this one guy was thought to have drowned little girls in Italy. He was found one day lying on the floor of his living room, dead."  
  
"That's not exactly weird," Bo said.  
  
"The autopsy showed he was drowned, yet he wasn't wet, and his wife told police her husband had never left the house that day," Blake clarified.  
  
"That's weird," Bo said.  
  
"Incidentally, a diary containing the man's confessions to the murders was found, and some of the entries were published in the local paper thanks to the wife," Blake continued.  
  
"A little too late for him, though," Bo said. "Any idea what she looks like?"  
  
Blake shook his head. "The victims don't remember much except for a spiral. They're not sure why, but although they don't remember what she looks like, they can only remember a spiral."  
  
Shirley paced the room. "So, it appears that the Gamer of the Dark is in Redington."  
  
"Looks like it," Blake said, replacing the book on the table.  
  
"Now, what's missing is why she's here, not to mention why the Strangers are after her," Shirley said.  
  
"They probably see her as some big supernatural threat," Bo guessed. "After all, taking away someone's mouth and sticking a man into a wall? That's pretty extreme."  
  
"Wait," Blake said. "Although her methods are pretty out there, from what I skimmed, the Gamer's some sort of supernatural vigilante. A ghostly good guy, if you will. She probably returned that kid's card."  
  
"Nevertheless, we need to find out who she is and why she's here," Shirley said. "If she keeps running around Redington, someone's going to end up like that man in Italy."  
  
"You know, for once, why can't we just stay out of it?" Bo asked. "The Strangers said they'll take care of it, and I say we should let them. We're not sure how powerful this girl is, and the Strangers are better equipped than we are to handle her."  
  
"Perhaps," Shirley said, "but I'm sure nothing bad will happen to us if we find her."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Blake asked.  
  
"I do have some pieces of evidence, but I'd like to see if they fit the hypothesis I've formulated," Shirley said.  
  
Blake looked at his watch. "I'd love to help you out, but I'd better get home. Dinner time, you know."  
  
"Aren't your parents out of town?" Bo asked.  
  
"Yeah," Blake said with a sigh, his sad eyes not escaping Shirley's watchful eye.  
  
"You could stay here for dinner with us," Shirley offered.  
  
Bo narrowed his eyes at Blake, but his demeanor cooled down when the other boy said half-jokingly, "Thanks, but Rosa said she'd be making something good for dinner, and if I don't eat it, I'll be kicked out onto the street."  
  
"You could stay with us if that happens," Shirley said, trying her best not to sound too hopeful.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Blake said with a laugh, but only he noticed Bo glaring at him.  
  
Bo looked at Shirley, and for a moment, he considered staying, but instead he blurted, "I've got to go home too. Gotta throw myself onto the mercy of the court, so to speak."  
  
"Okay, I'll let you know how things go tomorrow," Shirley said.  
  
The two boys said their goodbyes and made their way down the hidden staircase. Outside the Holmes residence, they stood their bikes up. As he did, Bo looked upward and wondered if he made the right choice.  
  
"You know, you could've stayed," Blake said.  
  
"I can't," Bo said, mounting his bike without looking at Blake.  
  
"Can't, or won't?" Blake asked.  
  
Bo froze, and he turned to Blake. "Leave me alone," he said seconds before kicking off.  
  
Watching Bo disappear into the distance, Blake sighed and began riding his bike toward home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once returning home, Blake found a note from Rosa and headed straight for the kitchen. As he expected, Rosa had left something for dinner, a pan of enchaladas on top of the stove. He got a plate and fork and helped himself.  
  
After getting some food and settling at the table, Blake read the note to himself.  
  
'Dear Blake,  
  
Sorry I couldn't be home for dinner, but a friend from church isn't feeling well. I thought I'd bring her some menudo and some company to cheer her up. I know you're a big boy now, so I'm sure you can take care of yourself. I'll be back later tonight.  
  
Love,  
Rosa'  
  
Blake sighed. "Story of my life," he muttered as he chewed on his dinner. His father was somewhere in Israel investigating a possible ENIGMA crime, and his mother had left yesterday to participate in a dig in Africa. Considering current events, he hoped they would've chosen to stay home, but his father was one of the most prominent figures in the fight against ENIGMA, and his mother was considered an expert in the field of archeology. *My parents, the risk takers,* he thought. *No wonder I turned out the way I am.* Unable to take it anymore, he tried to focus on a happy memory, and he ended up seeing Shirley in his mind. However, a little guilt accompanied the mental image.  
  
Suddenly, the phone rang and interrupted Blake's thoughts. Standing up, he allowed the phone to ring a second time and grabbed the receiver as quickly as he could. "Hello?" he asked.  
  
After a few seconds of conversation, Blake felt his eyes widen in surprise.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 4 


	6. Chapter 5

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 5  
by HA  
  
A cold shower and a good breakfast later, Shirley mounted her bike and did her best to get to Sussex Academy on time. When she got there, she found Bo waiting for her and the rest of her peers entering the school.  
  
Bo looked at his watch, and then he lifted his eyes to his friend, who was in the process of getting off her bicycle. For some strange reason, she misstepped, and she was about to fall off. Without a second thought, Bo dashed forward and caught Shirley in his arms as the bike fell to the ground.  
  
"Whoa there!" Bo said, holding Shirley in his arms. Smiling, he added, "Hey, are you...?"  
  
Suddenly, he stopped, and the realization that he was holding Shirley in his arms hit him hard. He wondered if he was smelling aloe or roses in her hair. He noticed how soft she felt, how blue her eyes were, how silky her hair looked, how...beautiful...she was...  
  
"Bo? You can let go of me now."  
  
Shirley's request snapped Bo out of his thoughts, and he quickly let his friend stand on her own. "I'll get that," he said quickly, heading toward the bike and trying not to show his blushing face. "So, why so early?" he asked as he stood the bike up while keeping his gaze away from her.  
  
"I believe I've figured everything out," Shirley said as she joined Bo at the bike stand.  
  
"You have?" Bo said, stepping away so Shirley could secure her bike.  
  
"I think I know what's going on," Shirley said.  
  
"Care to let me in on the big secret?" Bo said, relieved that his face was cooling down.  
  
Shirley was about to when she saw Blake approaching with his bike. "Blake!" she greeted. "I managed to figure out what's going on."  
  
Blake said nothing as he secured his bike to the bike stand. Without looking at Shirley and Bo, he continued on his way inside while slouching.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Bo wondered.  
  
Shirley was about to say something when a white limousine pulled up. The driver stepped out and opened the door for the main occupant. Clad in her Sussex Academy uniform with her backpack slung over her shoulder, Rika stepped out, thanked the driver, and watched as the car drove off. Making her way to the school entrance, Rika simply walked past Shirley and Bo without saying a word.  
  
"Okay, her acting that way I understand," Bo said.  
  
Shirley entered the school and looked for either Blake or Rika. She found Blake at his locker, but she also found someone else there. A girl with long blond hair was talking to him, and Shirley had a feeling she was up to no good.  
  
"Molly," she muttered, and she marched up to the two.  
  
The conversation between Blake and Molly stopped as soon as Shirley appeared. "Um, hi, Shirley," Blake said nervously.  
  
Molly smiled when she saw Shirley, who noticed a manila envelope under her arm. "Ah, Holmes." She turned to Blake. "We'll continue this later."  
  
As Molly walked away in a manner that denoted superiority, Shirley looked at Blake just as Bo joined them. "What's going on?" she demanded.  
  
Blake didn't look into Shirley's eyes. "We should go to class," he said before walking away, and Shirley had no choice but to follow him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Before the classes she had with Blake, Shirley tried to talk with him about the Gamer of the Dark, but he proved to be nonresponsive. While her teachers lectured on the lesson of the day, she found herself looking at Blake, who sat himself away from her. Meanwhile, Bo was glaring at him, but at the same time was looking at his best friend.  
  
At lunch, Shirley waited for Blake to join her and Bo at one of the outside lunch tables, but he never showed up. In order to control herself, she decided to focus on the current case.  
  
"I managed to find out more about the Gamer of the Dark via the World Wide Web late last night," Shirley said as she pulled out a pile of printouts from her backpack. "Apparently, she's been around the world."  
  
"I'll say," Bo said, eyeing the pile of paper before him as he chewed on his burrito.  
  
Shirley selected a page. "For instance, in L.A., a gang of three had been breaking into houses at night, assaulting the sleeping families, killing them, and before then, even taking...liberties with the female members, and rather vioently at that."  
  
"What do you mean by...oh." Silence passed between the two before Bo spoke again. He found himself still curious despite the queasy feeling in his stomach telling him not to. "So, what happened to them?"  
  
"When the police finally caught up to the trio, there were only two men left alive," Shirley revealed. "According to the web site I looked at, his cohort had been burned to death after letting his cigarettes fall on him..."  
  
"Ouch," Bo said, wincing.  
  
"...while he was soaked in vodka," Shirley finished.  
  
"Double ouch," Bo said, wincing even more.  
  
"According to the survivors," Shirley continued, "the Gamer had challenged one of them to a game where each participant could only move one finger."  
  
"What?" Bo said.  
  
"The man who volunteered has his gun in his hand and was ready to shoot the Gamer," Shirley said. "Logically, he chose his trigger finger."  
  
"So why didn't he just shoot her?" Bo sked.  
  
"She had put a lit lighter on his arm while he was pouring the vodka into a glass," Shirley said. "When the police found the rest of the gang, they were lying outside their hideout and had the markings of a vicious beating, yet there were no signs of a fight or anyone laying hands on them."  
  
"Harsh," Bo said.  
  
"Tell that to the man who killed Jenny Tyler," Shirley said as she took out another page.  
  
"Who?" Bo asked, blinking.  
  
"Jenny Tyler, a twelve-year-old Girl Scout who lived in the heartland of Iowa," Shirley recalled. "Found dead by strangulation in the local woods. The man that the local police believed was the killer, a trucker by the name of Zack Cody who possessed racist attitudes, was found screaming something about turning into a black man while gasping for air. Interestingly, he admitted he killed Jenny because she kept 'annoying' him."  
  
Bo's eyes widened and his burrito landed on his tray with a small splat. "At least he wasn't burned to death," he remarked as he recovered his lunch.  
  
"Strangely, the police got an anonymous tip about his whereabouts before they found him," Shirley said. "In fact, in almost all the cases I found, the local police was always told where to find the guilty parties.  
  
"That's nice of her," Bo said dryly. "You know, let the police know where they are before they kill themselves."  
  
"Also, the victims' suffering was worse when their crimes involved children," Shirley added, her eyes searching the area. "Where could he be?" she wondered.  
  
Bo frowned into his burrito. "Maybe he had something to do."  
  
"It's Molly," Shirley said, stuffing the papers into her backpack. "She's done something to him."  
  
"You mean like blackmail?" Bo said.  
  
"It's her specialty," Shirley answered, and Bo noticed the bitter tone in her voice.  
  
"Shirley, this is Blake we're talking about," Bo said. "What would he have that Molly would blackmail him with? I mean, he's the son of a police inspector, and he's perfect in every way." When he heard himself use the word "perfect," he couldn't help but let out a grunt of disapproval.  
  
Fortunately for him, Shirley didn't notice it. "We need to find him," she said firmly, and she quickly rose out of her seat and left the table.  
  
From her table, Alicia watched as Bo left his lunch and followed Shirley. A smile crossed her face as she shook her head and reached for her milk carton.  
  
Stink appeared before her with Parker. "Hey, Alicia," he said while Parker looked longingly at her. "Have you seen Molly? She hasn't been around since I saw her last class."  
  
"I think she had to get something from her locker," she answered, trying her best to ignore the way Parker was looking at her.  
  
"Thanks," Stink said, and he took off, leaving Parker with Alicia.  
  
Alicia raised an eyebrow at Parker. "Don't you have somewhere else to go?"  
  
"Nope," Parker said, grinning. "Can I sit down with you?"  
  
Alicia rolled her eyes, and as she drank her milk, she fought the urge to slug him. Despite her attempts at willpower, the hand she hid underneath the table kept curling into a fist and uncurling.  
  
* * * * *  
  
By asking around, Shirley and Bo eventually found Blake. At the same time. Stink found Molly. Both groups of searchers had arrived in front of the dorms just as the two were wrapping up their conversation.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys...?" Stink began to ask Shirley and Bo as they arrived at the same time.  
  
"Remember," Shirley heard Molly tell Blake, pointing at him for emphasis. "Tomorrow, early afternoon, or everyone will know."  
  
"I gotcha," Blake answered as he looked at his feet. His hands were in his trouser pockets.  
  
"Well, see you later, Blake," Molly said, flashing a grin when she spotted Shirley. She continued to grin as she left, and her walk once again became an expression of superiority.  
  
"Molly?" Stink asked, but she didn't answer him, so he looked at Blake. "What's going on?"  
  
Seeing that he wasn't looking at her and the others, Shirley stepped up to him. "Blake, what's wrong?"  
  
Blake thrust his hands into his trouser pockets even deeper, and his mouth curled into a frown. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked at his friends. "Apparently," he began uneasily, "I'm taking Molly out on a date tomorrow."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 5 


	7. Chapter 6

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 6  
  
by HA  
  
For a while, no one said anything. Shirley stared at Blake and did her best to control herself. Bo looked at him in disbelief. Stink's jaw dropped while he tried to find the right words to express his thoughts.  
  
Finally, he did. "You're going out on a date with Molly?" he exclaimed.  
  
Blake smiled bitterly. "Yeah, looks like it."  
  
Shirley reached out and grabbed Blake by the arm. "Come on."  
  
Bo followed Shirley as she dragged Blake along, leaving Stink to ponder what just happened. "He's going on a date with Molly?" he lamented.  
  
"What's going on?" Shirley asked, losing control and tightening her grip on Blake's arm.  
  
Blake shook her off. "It's none of your business, Shirley."  
  
Bo groaned. "First Rika, now you. What's next?"  
  
"Guys," Blake began, pleading with his eyes, "I wish I could tell you, but..."  
  
He stopped talking and looked past his friends. Looking sideways, Shirley saw Molly standing there.  
  
"Blake, you do remember our agreement, correct?" Molly said as she approached the group.  
  
"I do," Blake answered with a frown.  
  
"Good," Molly said. "I'll see you later."  
  
Just as Molly was about to depart, Shirley stepped into her way. "What's the point of all this? What are you up to?" she demanded, glaring at the sociopath.  
  
Molly flashed her a grin. "Why, Holmes, whatever do you mean?" she said innocently. "Blake and I are just going out on a friendly date."  
  
Shirley glared at Molly intensely. "I'll stop you."  
  
"Really, Holmes, you must stop being so suspicious of everyone," Molly said, and she leaned closer to Shirley. "Oh, and don't bother going to my room. I've been upgrading my security measures recently." Looking at Blake, she said cheerfully, "Well, see you tomorrow night."  
  
Shirley continued to glare at Molly as she left. She felt her hand curl into a fist, and she wanted to run after her archrival and force her to tell by doing something rather unHolmes-like, such as pulling on her long blond hair until she talked.  
  
Blake looked after Molly, and as soon as she was at a good distance, he looked at Shirley with downcast eyes. For a moment, she thought he was going to say something like this was all a sick joke. Blake walked up to Shirley, and as Bo watched, he took her hands into his own and looked into her blue eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and he left her.  
  
Shirley watched as Blake walked away, and Bo found himself torn between feeling sorry for Blake and reveling in his misery. Then, he saw Shirley standing there by herself with her head down, and he walked up to her. "Shirley..." he began, and after some hesitation, he nervously reached for her shoulder.  
  
Shirley looked at her hands, and then she noticed something there. Opening her hands, she found something in her hand.  
  
Bo pulled his hand away and looked over Shirley's shoulder. "What's that?" he asked.  
  
Shirley quickly pocketed the object into her school blazer. "Did you see Rika at lunch?"  
  
"Um, no," Bo recalled.  
  
"Odd, don't you think?" Shirley said.  
  
"Yeah," Bo said, but his eyes kept wandering to Shirley's blazer pocket. "Er, Shirley, what...?"  
  
"Let's go find her," Shirley said seriously, and she walked off.  
  
Bo frowned, watched her for a bit, and resigned himself to following her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I can't believe it," Stink said after dumping the contents of his milk carton into his mouth. After sulking in front of the dorms, he rejoined his friends at their lunch table and sulked there. "I can't believe Blake's taking her on a date."  
  
Alicia looked at Blake, who was sitting at Molly's table. The handsome young man was looking away from Molly as she was discussing various matters with her tablemates. To Alicia, he seemed to be looking for someone. "Something tells me he's not exactly thrilled with going out with her."  
  
"How can that be true?" Stink said, focusing on Molly. "Look at her. Who wouldn't want to go out with her?"  
  
"From the looks of things, not Blake," Parker commented.  
  
Stink frowned. "It's not fair. What does he have that I don't have?"  
  
"Good looks," Parker said.  
  
"Maturity," Alicia added.  
  
"No visible zits," Parker said.  
  
"Self-control," Alicia said.  
  
"I get it, I get it," Stink said, waving away the comments.  
  
"Well, you did cause quite a stink in the science lab yesterday," Alicia pointed out. "I don't think Molly wants to go out with someone who almost ruined her good smell."  
  
"You know, Stink, maybe you should lower your expectations. Try to get a girl who'll be willing to go out with you instead of someone who'll keep rejecting you," Parker advised, and turning to Alicia, he said, "So, how about a movie tomorrow? I heard that this great sci-fi movie is playing..."  
  
Alicia became more focused on her lunch, and Stink continued to stare at Molly from afar. "Life's not fair," he lamented.  
  
"Get used to it," Alicia said, still trying to tune out Parker as he continued to describe the movie's plot.  
  
"I can't lose her," Stink whispered to Alicia as he continued to look at Molly. "You've got to help me."  
  
"What?" Alicia said as she dropped her fork.  
  
"You've got to help me keep an eye on her," Stink said. "After all, you're off tomorrow."  
  
"I am not helping you stalk Molly!" Alicia said, losing her cool.  
  
"It's not stalking," Stink whispered harshly. "I'm just...looking out for her."  
  
Alicia rolled her eyes, and Parker droned on. "Stink, if you're going to follow Molly and Blake around on their date, go right ahead." She chewed on some lettuce from her salad. "If you want to make a total fool of yourself, that's your business."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Making their way into the main building, Shirley and Bo saw Rika as she exited the science lab. She noticed the two detectives, but said nothing to them as she passed them and left the building.  
  
"Man, when she gives someone the cold shoulder..." Bo began, but he stopped as he followed Shirley into the science lab. As she rushed into the room, Bo stayed just outside the doorway.  
  
Shirley turned around and looked at Bo. "Why aren't you coming in?"  
  
Bo gulped. "Oh, I'll just wait out here until you're done," he said shakily. "I'll keep an eye out for Rika just in case she comes back."  
  
Shirley raised an eyebrow at her best friend, but she eventually resumed her search. As she did, Bo watched her rather than the hallway. He noticed how Shirley was becoming more womanlike in her figure, how more defined her curves were. For a moment, a powerful thought crossed his mind, and he almost stepped inside, but he suddenly felt uncomfortable, quickly dismissed the thought, and refocused on the hallway.  
  
Finding nothing on the floor and on the tables, Shirley looked in the wastebasket and found a crumpled piece of paper. "Hmmmmm..." she said as she pulled it out.  
  
"What'd you find?" Bo asked as Shirley joined him in the hallway. Luckily, he had calmed down.  
  
Stopping by the lockers, Shirley opened the paper, and both kids found the following:  
  
Meet me at the new construction site downtown at 8 PM. Don't be late.  
  
Shirley looked at the lower right hand corner of the note and found a drawn spiral.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once she got home, Shirley found herself alone in the house, went immediately to her attic lab, and alternated between doing her homework and going over her current case by doing more online research. When she finished her homework, she focused exclusively on the note, and after dusting it for fingerprints, she found nothing.  
  
"A clever one, that Gamer of the Dark," Shirley said to no one in particular although Watson was in earshot.  
  
Confident that she successfully sorted all the pieces of the puzzle properly, Shirley looked at the paper flower resting on her table. Blake had once mentioned to her that he was a little skilled at origami during their first date, but she had never seen him actually demonstrate his skills. The flower was red, and Shirley noticed especially the words "OPEN ME" on one petal.  
  
Taking the delicate looking piece of paper, Shirley opened it and found a layer of white. Separating the two sheets of paper, she found writing on the white paper, and she read it to herself:  
  
Dear Shirley,  
  
If you're reading this, I can only say I'm sorry. However, Molly's managed to get something of mine, and she's using it to blackmail me into a date. Basically, if I don't comply, she'll post it online as Y. I can't tell you what it is, but I can't allow her to post it. I know you want to do everything in your power to save me, but please don't. You and Bo need to focus on the Gamer of the Dark and find out what she's up to in Redington. Please don't worry about me. I can handle Molly. Just take care of yourself, and good luck.  
  
Love,  
  
Blake  
  
Shirley put the paper away and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she tried to suppress the tears threatening to emerge from her eyes. Unfortunately, she saw Blake's kind face, and the moisture began to leak.  
  
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and took another deep breath. Holding back the tears, she finally regained emotional control. *I have to focus,* she told herself. *I have to focus.*  
  
"Shirley?"  
  
Shirley turned around and found Bo standing there dressed in his usual clothes. Feelings of disappointment and relief swelled inside her, and she found herself fighting to maintain the stoic façade she tried to emulate from her famous ancestor.  
  
"Are you okay?" Bo asked with concern, stepping forward.  
  
"Never been better," she answered. "What are you doing here? I thought you got in trouble with your parents about not showing up for work."  
  
"Oh, my mom persuaded my dad to let me go after I told them about seeing how you were doing," Bo said, willing himself not to blush. "Of course, my allowance got reduced a lot, but I'm okay with that…" He wanted to say more, but instead he thought, *…as long as you're okay.*  
  
"Well, I'm okay, but thanks for your concern," Shirley said firmly. "I believe I've figured out everything about the Gamer of the Dark."  
  
"Naturally," Bo said, smiling. "Care to enlighten me?"  
  
"I think we'll get a chance to confirm my suspicions after we go see the Gamer and Rika," Shirley said, returning to her table.  
  
"That'll be fun," Bo said dryly. "I'm sure they'll love us crashing their little meeting."  
  
"Something tells me we'll be all right," Shirley stated as she started organizing her table.  
  
Bo sighed. "Well, I'd better come along so you don't get into too much trouble."  
  
"I appreciate your help," Shirley said.  
  
"No problem." Before Bo knew it, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Too bad Blake won't be coming with us. He would've loved meeting an urban legend."  
  
Shirley froze and leaned against the table, and the emotional defenses she had in place crumbled. Bo watched as her body shook, and he could've sworn he heard her sobbing. Walking up to her and without any hesitation, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Shirley?"  
  
Shirley turned around, and Bo clearly saw the redness of her eyes and the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mouth was scrunched into a frown, and before Bo could say anything, she leaned against him and cried some more.  
  
Feeling her face against his shoulder and her arms around him, Bo found himself trying to process what was going on. Shirley Holmes, his stoic best friend and amateur sleuth, had broken down into tears and was leaning against him. In all the time he had known her, he never saw her like this. Soon, the realization of his physical closeness to her dawned on him. His nose now confirmed that her hair did smell of aloe. For a moment, his arms hung limply at his sides, but he soon willed them to wrap themselves around Shirley, who continued to moisten his shirt with her tears.  
  
"Hey," Bo said softly as he stroked Shirley's hair. "It's okay, it's okay."  
  
Shirley sniffled and looked at Bo through her reddy eyes. "Why, Bo? Why is she doing this to us?"  
  
Unable to help himself, Bo wiped away one of Shirley's tears with his finger. "Maybe she wants to irk you a little. Show off some of that so-called power she has over people, you know."  
  
Shirley wiped her eyes. "I have to do something to help him."  
  
"Shirley…"  
  
"You don't get it," Shirley said, straightening up herself, causing Bo to feel a little disappointed she didn't stay longer in his arms. "Whatever she has must be very important to Blake. She can just keep it and make him do what she wants, and since he's so good at computers…"  
  
"I get it," Bo said gently, "but Blake can take care of himself."  
  
"He's never tried taking Molly on his own before," Shirley said, sniffling again. "If he tries to cross her, she'll ruin him."  
  
"Hey." Bo placed both his hands on Shirley's shoulders and looked down at her. "If Blake can handle a bunch of masked killers, he can handle Molly."  
  
"But…"  
  
"He'll be fine. Besides, there's the Gamer of the Dark," Bo said. "Like you said, we have to find out what she's up to, and if we don't, someone might end up a statue on the sidewalk or something like that."  
  
Shirley wiped her eyes and nodded, and no one spoke. Realizing that he was touching Shirley, Bo willed himself to let go of her shoulders, but something made him keep them there. Then, one of his recent thoughts came to him. Looking into her blue eyes, he saw himself moving one hand to the back of her head and feeling her hair. He saw himself enjoying the silkiness of it, and then he would look at her lips. He saw himself closing his eyes, leaning forward, and...  
  
"Bo?"  
  
Shaken out of his reverie, Bo let go of Shirley. "Um, I'd better get home before I get into too much trouble. I don't think my parents would like it if I kept my visit here too long."  
  
"I doubt they'd mind," Shirley said. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"  
  
"Um, no thanks. The rest of your family'll be home soon."  
  
"Bo, they know who you are," Shirley said.  
  
Bo gulped. "Well, I have to go home anyway. Got homework."  
  
"I can help you with it," Shirley said.  
  
"That's okay, that's okay," Bo said, holding up his hand and shaking his head. "I can handle it." He made his way to the staircase. "I'll see you tomorrow for the great hunt."  
  
"Bo..." Shirley began.  
  
Bo stopped walking and turned around. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you cried."  
  
"Thank you, but that wasn't what I was going to say," Shirley said.  
  
"Then what?" Bo said as he took a step down, his eyes transfixed on Shirley.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for being such a good friend," Shirley said.  
  
Bo forced himself to smile. "Hey, no problem. Will you be okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine." Shirley wiped away the stray remains of a tear. "You're right. Blake can handle it by himself. He knows what Molly really is."  
  
"He sure does," Bo said. "See you, Shirley."  
  
Walking across the room, Shirley watched as her best friend descended the staircase, and just as he had reached the bottom, she said, "Bo?"  
  
Bo paused at the back of the bookcase. "Yeah?"  
  
"If you ever start dating, that girl would be so lucky to have you," she said, but in her mind, she wasn't sure where that came from.  
  
"I guess you're right," Bo said, and he exited through the bookcase.  
  
After saying goodbye to Gran, who was practicing Tai-Chi in the living room, Bo left the Holmes residence. As he mounted his bike, he started thinking about Shirley crying in his arms. He felt guilty about the thought, but he also felt sympathy for her. At the same time, he was angry at Blake for doing that to her, and at the moment, he wanted to find him and slug him in the face. Then, Bo's thoughts went back to what he wanted to do in there, and they quickly shifted to what his dreams kept showing him as the next step.  
  
"Aaaargh!" he exclaimed in frustration, and as he took off, he tried his best to purge those thoughts out of his mind. Unfortunately, as he rode home, all he could think about was Shirley in his arms, the intense blueness of her eyes, the silky feel of her hair, and her lips.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 6 


	8. Chapter 7

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 7  
  
by HA  
  
"You look nice," Rosa said as Blake appeared in the living room.  
  
Blake looked at his clothes, a simple tan long-sleeved shirt with matching pants and brown shoes. He had spent most of his Saturday getting ready for his date with Molly by looking through his clothes and ironing his choices, and offending her wasn't an option considering what she had. "I guess so," he told the housekeeper as he headed for the front door.  
  
"Hmmmmmmm..." Rosa said as she looked over her young charge. "A date?"  
  
Blake gulped, and he felt his face heat up. "Um, no."  
  
Rosa shook her head and wagged her finger at him. "Blake, you cannot fool me, I'm afraid. Is it Shirley?"   
  
Blake laughed nervously. "You got me there, Rosa," he lied with a smile, wishing that he was with Shirley. However, he told himself that he needed to take care of this without any help.  
  
"Well then, I hope you two have a good time," Rosa said.  
  
"Yeah," Blake said as he left the house. When the door closed, Rosa sighed and shook her head.  
  
Blake looked through his wallet and found his credit card. Although he usually paid for things in cash, he had to be prepared for any demands Molly would make of him. He knew the card was given to him by his parents only for emergencies, but considering his current situation, they'd probably agree that this was an emergency. Also, his bank account was good enough to cover any credit card costs since all he bought was literature. No, that wasn't entirely true. There was the one movie date he had taken Shirley met after their first case together.  
  
Sighing with guilt, he checked the time on his watch, and as soon as he was on his bike, he took off.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Bo arrived at the Holmes residence around 7:30 PM. Upon getting down from his bike, he let out a little yawn. He had slept in despite his mother calling him to breakfast. He had woken up in the middle of the night after having the dream again, and with the usual guilt, went to the bathroom. Unfortunately, it kept happening despite his attempts at self-control, and as a result, he didn't get as much sleep as he would've wanted.  
  
Nevertheless, he forced himself to come to Shirley. The awkwardness he felt around her and his lack of a good sleep combined with going after a supposed supernatural threat failed to stop him from agreeing to meet with Shirley. He parked his bike and as he walked up to the door, he noticed that there was no car in the driveway. He got ready to ring the doorbell when the door suddenly opened, and Shirley appeared before him.  
  
This time, Shirley was dressed in a blue shirt and jeans with her backpack slung over her shoulder, and a floppy red beret adorned her head. Bo couldn't help but notice that her clothes revealed her curves more and that the color of her shirt matched her eyes, but he tried to avoid looking over her when he saw the look on Shirley's face. The emotional girl he had held in his arms last night was gone, and only the dogged detective he had known for about four years remained.  
  
"Hi, Bo," Shirley greeted in a friendly manner. "Ready?"  
  
"Of course," Bo replied as he kept his gaze on her face, but as soon as he felt his face heating up, he looked away. "Let's go."  
  
Raising an eyebrow at her friend, Shirley followed him to their bikes. "So, where's your family?" Bo asked.  
  
"Gran went out for a walk, and Mom and Dad are working overtime. Mom's been pretty busy recently, and Dad's working some something involving trade with another country," Shirley explained as she propped up her bike.  
  
"Which country?" Bo asked as he mounted his bike.  
  
"Not sure," Shirley said. "Let's go."  
  
The two friends took off. "So, where exactly are we going?" Bo asked. "There's been a lot of construction going on around Redington recently, and the note didn't say which one."  
  
"I believe the Gamer will be at the future site of the new video arcade," Shirley said. "It's the most recent construction project downtown, not to mention the most ambitious."  
  
"I heard about that," Bo said. "It's gonna have virtual reality games along with the regular ones."  
  
"It's also located close to the edge of the city, so we'd better hurry," Shirley said, and with that, both teens picked up their pace.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Standing outside the dorms, Molly waited patiently with her bike at her side. For her date, she chose to wear a white blouse with gray slacks, but strangely enough, she took forever to find something to wear. In addition, she did her best to style her hair into an elegant bun. She was a little surprised at this since this wasn't a real date, but in the end, she reasoned that she just wanted to look good for herself, not for Blake. Granted, he was a little cute, but still...  
  
Slapping her forehead hard for perhaps the sixth time that day, Molly shifted the focus of her thoughts to her archenemy. She grinned wickedly when she recalled how Shirley reacted when she was told about the date. She found her reaction quite amusing, and she felt that once again, she had the upper hand in their game of wits. She was sure Shirley was going out of her mind over this, and if things went well, she'd just keep the envelope and make Blake do whatever she wanted. As for the envelope itself, she secured it in her desk, and she was confident that her new security measures would keep any snoops out.  
  
Molly made sure to stay near the outside light since the sky was getting darker. As the night came forward to take possession, she felt her hand start to shake, and the grip on her bike's handle bars started to tighten. In response, she began to take deep breaths, and in order to distract herself, she began to go over her current machinations.  
  
Ever since Blake had come to Redington, Molly had noticed how close he had been getting to Shirley. For her, that was an opportunity--an opening for which she could strike at her sworn archnemesis. At first, she subtlely made her move in the form of some form of flirting, and she always noticed the jealous reaction of the junior detective. Recently, she decided to exploit that weakness further. It had been so easy to find someone willing to expertly break into the Hewitt residence and find something that Blake valued highly enough to do anything she wanted. She recalled the look on Shirley's face again, and at that moment, she knew she had hurt her.  
  
Suddenly, Molly began to recall something. First, she remembered darkness, and she resumed trembling. Then, a taunting voice echoed through her mind, and her grip on her handle bars tightened. Suddenly, there was light, and he was there, trying to reassure her and helping her stand up. The way he looked, the way he held her up...the memory made her feel warm.  
  
"Stop that," Molly admonished herself in a low voice. "You're strong, remember?" When she started purging the memory, the trembling resumed.  
  
"Hey, Molly!"  
  
Relief spread throughout Molly's body as Blake appeared on his bike, and she began to relax. As the boy pulled up to her, she noticed how good he looked, but as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she allowed herself to be angry. "Where have you been?" she demanded.  
  
"Oh, just enjoying the scenery on my way here," Blake answered nicely. "You look great, by the way."  
  
Molly mounted her bike. "Let's just go, okay?" she said without looking at him.  
  
"If you wish," Blake said.  
  
The two left the dorm area, and as soon as they were gone, Stink crept out of his hiding place alongside the dormitory with his bike. Recalling what he heard by eavesdropping on Molly yesterday and earlier, he took an alternate route to the restaurant the two were going to.  
  
Unknown to everyone else, someone had been watching from the roof of the dormitory, and as soon as the area was clear, that person chose to follow Blake and Molly.  
  
* * * * *  
  
With Sara at her side, Rika arrived at the meeting place. Both Strangers found themselves before a wooden fence with the sign "FUTURE SITE OF TECHNOTOPIA VIDEO ARCADE. AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY" on it. They also found a gap in the fence large enough to walk through, and judging from the boards on the ground, it had been made recently.  
  
"Looks like she's expecting us," Sara said as she leaned her bike against the fence.  
  
Rika, who was dressed in a red shirt, blue jean jacket and jeans, and a red headband, nodded and reached into her backpack after dismounting her bike. Sara watched as she pulld out her dragon gauntlets and donned them. "Well, let's do this," Rika said, flexing her hand.  
  
They walked through the gap and found a frame being set up along with a bulldozer and a cement mixer. As they walked further into the site, Sara kept her hand in her pocket, and Rika was ready to defend herself.  
  
Suddenly, something flew at them from above. Rika stopped walking, and the object embedded itself into the ground. Stopping down to pick it up, she showed it to Sara, who noted that it resembled a shuriken, except it had a spiral in its center. A second later, it disappeared in a little cloud of smoke.  
  
"You're right on time."  
  
Rika and Sara looked up and saw a girl standing on top of the frame. Despite the fragileness of the future building, she wasn't causing it to collapse. Suddenly, she leapt off, and after a perfect flip in the air, landed before the two Strangers. "It's been a while, Rika," the girl said as she stood up.  
  
"Yes, it has," Rika answered, keeping her eyes on the girl.  
  
The girl flashed a grin. "I guess you don't want to play a game with me, huh?"  
  
"Not the one you have in mind," Rika answered, her fists starting to emit a golden glow.  
  
"Well, then..." The girl's eyes glowed a bright yellow, and a flaming aura of green and blue appeared around her.  
  
In response, Rika began to glow a bright yellow. Sara backed away from the two as they faced each other. For a while, no one moved. Finally, Rika and the girl charged at each other, and little explosions of yellow, green, and blue filled the area.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Why couldn't you rent a limo?" Molly said as she parked her bike alongside Blake's at the restaurant.  
  
"You didn't say we had to," Blake answered matter-of-factly.  
  
Molly narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't try to cross me," she warned.  
  
"The thought never crossed my mind," Blake replied with a smile. He headed towards the door and opened it. "After you," he said, gesturing towards the entrance.  
  
From across the street, Stink watched through a pair of binoculars as Molly walked through the entrance of the restaurant after staring at her date for a while and as Blake followed her in. "I could've done that," he said with a frown.  
  
Before he knew it, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Startled, he turned around, and when he saw who had done it, he said, "You?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What the...?" Bo wondered as he spotted the flashes of light above the construction site before them.  
  
"This is definitely the place," Shirley concluded as they got closer, noticing the two bikes on the fence.  
  
Leaving their bikes next to Rika's and Sara's, the two detectives dashed through the fence. They spotted Sara, but what she was watching got their attention immediately.  
  
Before them, two great streaks of light kept bouncing off each other and zigzagging. Shirley could hear the blows being struck between the two, and after a while, the two lights returned to earth. The yellow one landed before Shirley and the others, and the blue and green one landed a few feet away.  
  
The yellow glow faded, revealing Rika with her hands out in a defensive position. "I see playing games hasn't diminished your fighting skills," she said.  
  
The blue and green light faded away, revealing the girl. "Yours are still as good," she admitted.  
  
Rika turned around and saw Shirley and Bo. "Why am I not surprised you're here?"  
  
"Wild horses couldn't drag us away," Bo joked weakly.  
  
The girl stepped forward with her hands in her pants pockets. "Ah, so you've finally come, Shirley Holmes," she said.  
  
Shirley blinked as she looked at the girl. "You know me?"  
  
"I have my sources," the girl said, her mouth forming a grin. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."  
  
Bo looked over the girl when he could clearly see her. "Okay, now that's bizarre."  
  
The girl standing before them all definitely fit Bo's one word description. Her clothing seemed normal; her jacket and pants were a dark blue, and her shirt was a simple green. However, her hair was of the same shade of green, and it was worn as buns with long pigtails. Her eyes were yellow, and the spiral was present on her shirt and the ends of her pigtails.  
  
"You're the Gamer of the Dark?" Bo asked, staring at the girl and not liking the look in her eyes.  
  
"So that's what they call me. My, what a fitting name!" the girl said, cupping her chin with one gloved hand as she let out a little laugh.  
  
"I suppose you have one of your own?" Shirley asked.  
  
For a while, no one spoke, and a brief wind blew through the area. "But of course. Watashi wa Uzumaki Tomie desu," the girl said finally, flashing a grin, "or if you prefer the Western name order, Tomie Uzumaki."  
  
Bo really didn't like the look in her eyes.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 7 


	9. Chapter 8

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 8  
  
by HA  
  
"Right this way," the maitre d told Blake and Molly, leading them to a table.  
  
The two teens sat down, and a waiter appeared besides them shortly. He was a thin man with a thin mustache and what appeared to be a barely put-together toupee. "Ah, Miss Hardy," he said as he saw Molly. "How good of you to grace our fine restaurant again with your presence."  
  
"Yes," Molly said as she took her menu opened it.  
  
"Let me know when you're ready," the waiter said before leaving.  
  
Blake opened his menu. "Hmmmmmmmmm..."  
  
Molly skimmed through her menu and paid attention to the more expensive dishes. "The pheasant under glass looks rather nice. I think..."  
  
"Let's go for the clams and linguini in alfredo sauce," Blake broke in.  
  
Molly put down her menu and narrowed her eyes. "Now, Blake, shouldn't you be getting what your date wants?"  
  
"True, but let me put it this way," Blake said. "Have you ever had pheasant under glass before?"  
  
"On a few occasions," Molly said. "When I was actually with my parents."  
  
"Same here," Blake admitted. "Have you ever had clams and linguini before?"  
  
"No," Molly answered.  
  
"Neither have I. Would be interesting, if you ask me," Blake said.  
  
Molly frowned. "What happens if we don't like it?"  
  
"Hmmm, good point," Blake said. "However, how will we know if we don't try it?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow at her date, Molly's first notion was to persist in getting the pheasant, but something told her to stop as she looked at Blake. "All right, Blake, we'll try it your way."  
  
"Okay, but I think we'll start out with something familiar we both will like," Blake said. "How do you feel about the appetizer sampler?"  
  
"It looks fine," Molly said after skimming its contents. "I should note that if we both don't like the clams and linguini, it wouldn't be much of a dinner."  
  
"Good point," Blake said with a laugh. "Tell you what. We'll share dishes." He ignored the look of disgust on Molly's face as he continued speaking. "I'll order the linguini while you order..." He searched the menu for something that looked edible, yet unfamiliar, and he finally pointed to an item. "Okay, the fried catfish looks good. You ever had fried catfish before?"  
  
"I've heard good things about it," Molly said, still trying to get over the fact that they'd be sharing dishes.  
  
"So have I," Blake said. "Care to try it?"  
  
"Sure," Molly said before she could stop herself.  
  
The waiter walked up to the table. "Are you ready yet, Miss Hardy?"  
  
"I am," Molly said, and she looked over the menu. "How is your catfish tonight?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Alicia frowned as she looked at Stink. "Why am I not surprised you'd be here?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Stink stared at Alicia and noticed a pair of binoculars around her neck. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Alicia balked, and after some stammering, she found the right words. "I'm here on Shirley's behalf."  
  
"So Shirley told you to spy on them?" Stink asked.  
  
Alicia looked nervously at her feet. "Well, no, but I'm sure she'd want to."  
  
"And you said I had a problem," Stink said.  
  
"At least I'm out here for unselfish reasons," Alicia argued. "You, you're just stalking Molly."  
  
"For the last time, I'm not stalking her!" Stink yelled, getting into Alicia's face.  
  
Alicia rolled her eyes and glared back at Stink. "Oh, come on! Every time you see here, it's always with goo-goo eyes."  
  
Soon, the two were engaged in a heated verbal battle. Fortunately for them, no one was there in the immediate area. Unfortunately, someone was watching from a nearby alley.  
  
Dressed in a black leather jacket with brown patches on the elbows, the young man assessed the situation. The boy didn't look like much of a threat, so he wouldn't have any trouble. "Mmmmmmm, sweets," he said as he looked over Alicia while licking his lips. She didn't exactly fit his standards, but at the moment, he didn't care. He felt inside his pants pocket for his switchblade and got ready to walk in on them.  
  
"I think not."  
  
The man's ears picked up something crackling. A second later, he felt something stab through his skull from behind, and he saw a flash of red while experiencing a brief moment of heat followed by an overwhelming numbness. As he collapsed to the ground, Alicia and Stink continued their argument. Later, when a policeman on patrol would find him, he wouldn't be able to recall who he was and what he was doing out there.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The wind blew even harder through the future site of Technotopia, and that was the only sound being made. Rika remained in her defensive stance. Sara kept her hand in her pocket. Bo wondered if Tomie's yellow eyes and green hair were for real.  
  
"Tomie Uzumaki, huh?" Shirley said finally. "I've read about some of your work."  
  
"Ah yes," Tomie said, still grinning. "Those people deserved what they got."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Bo said, almost exploding despite those pair of eerily yellow eyes and wicked grin. "You took away a guy's mouth and turned another into part of a bathroom wall!"  
  
Tomie's grin grew wider. "They violated people." A snicker escaped her lips. "I don't like people who violate others."  
  
"And you kill them," Bo said.  
  
Tomie snickered again. "I don't kill them. It's not my fault if some of them fail to tell the truth after I inflict the Dark Penalty."  
  
"The Dark Penalty?" Shirley said.  
  
"The punishment I inflict on those who lose to me in a game," Tomie explained, and Shirley recalled her research. "They suffer whatever they most fear or what I feel is ironic, and only by admitting their guilt publicly will they be freed from it."  
  
"Why don't you just use this Dark Penalty?" Shirley asked curiously. "Why do you play games with your victims?"  
  
"I like games," Tomie said, the grin on her face widening even more, "and I've never lost."  
  
"So, why exactly are you here?" Bo asked.  
  
Tomie snickered. "Why, for my latest victim." Her yellow eyes focused on Shirley.  
  
Bo looked from Tomie to Shirley. "Oh no...you can't!"  
  
"Why not?" Tomie said. "Your friend here violates others on a regular basis with her detective work."  
  
"But she's one of the good guys!" Bo yelled.  
  
"It doesn't matter to me," Tomie said. "Besides, I want to see how good she is in a game." Snickering, she pointed at the girl detective. "Shirley Holmes, I challenge you to play a game with me."  
  
Sara stared at Tomie. "What?"  
  
Rika turned to Shirley. "Shirley, don't accept! You have no idea what she's capable of!"  
  
Tomie's eyes flashed angrily. "Stay out of this, Rika. This is between me and the detective."  
  
"The hell it is," Bo said, stepping in front of his best friend and spreading his arms out. "She's not playing any of your games, and that's that."  
  
Tomie narrowed her eyes, and Shirley saw her flex her hand at her side. "I think she needs some...incentive...to play."  
  
Suddenly, Tomie raised her hand, and what looked like a wire shot out of it and flew past Rika. Before Bo knew what was happening, the wire wrapped itself around his neck, and he was being pulled towards the Gamer of the Dark.  
  
"Bo!" Shirley cried out.  
  
Gasping for air, Bo found himself being lifted from the ground. Soon, he was being held by the wire at a great height. His limbs flailed helplessly in the air, and his gasps were clearly heard by all. Instinctively, he reached for the wire around his neck and tried to pull it off him, but it was too tight for him.  
  
"Now, Shirley," Tomie said, grinning malevolently, "do you want to play?"  
  
END OF CHAPTER 8 


	10. Chapter 9

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 9  
  
by HA  
  
"Your food," the waiter told Blake and Molly as he placed the two plates on the table. "Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Molly said as she looked sideways at the food.  
  
"Here," Blake said, offering his plate to Molly after the waiter left. "Try it."  
  
Molly raised an eyebrow at the pile of clams and linguini covered with alfredo sauce. A small frown formed on her face. "Er..."  
  
"Tell ya what." Blake smiled at her as he speared a clam on his fork and twisted some noodles on it. "We'll try it at the same time."  
  
Reluctantly, Molly followed his example and found herself facing a twisted ball of seafood and pasta drenched in a creamy white sauce. As the ball dripped onto the catfish below, Molly shot a skeptical look at Blake, who was looking at his.  
  
"On the count of three," he told her. "One, two, three."  
  
Seconds after "three," he popped his white noodle ball into his mouth. Unwilling to allow herself to show weakness, Molly quickly shoved hers into her mouth, and she chewed in unison with him. Finally, they both swallowed, and Molly seized her glass of water and downed a significant amount of the liquid.  
  
"Well?" Blake asked, sipping from his glass.  
  
"It's...not bad," Molly admitted.  
  
"I'd have to agree," Blake said. "Now, let's try the catfish." Eyeing Molly's plate, he got his fork ready. "May I?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
After arguing for what seemed to be an eternity, Alicia and Stink resigned themselves to looking through the front window of the restaurant. Both of them spotted their two targets somewhere deep in the restaurant.  
  
Stink squinted through his binoculars. "Are they...eating off the same plate?"  
  
"Looks like they're trying each other's food," Alicia said.  
  
Stink's teeth clenched along with his fist. "That's it. We're going in there!"  
  
Alicia put down her binoculars. "That's smart. Let them know we're spying on them."  
  
"You got any better ideas?" Stink said, glaring at her.  
  
"Yeah. Going back to Sussex and getting some sleep," Alicia shot back.  
  
Stink let out a grunt of frustration. "Oh, forget you!"  
  
Before Alicia could stop him, Stink dashed across the street. As a car stopped in time to avoid hitting him, Alicia rolled her eyes and ran after him while ignoring the loud honking and swearing of the driver.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Still feeling the increasing tightness around his neck, Bo also felt a little lightheaded, not to mention his own hands were losing their grip. Looking below him, he noticed that Tomie was watching him.  
  
Shirley's eyes betrayed the panic she had. "Bo!" she shouted.  
  
"Let him go!" Rika yelled. "He's done nothing wrong!"  
  
Tomie looked away from her captive. "Are you sure about that? He does help her in her detective work. Therefore, he's an accomplice and shares in her guilt." Her yellow eyes focused on Shirley. "Well, do you want to play a game?"  
  
Bo tried to say something, but thanks to the wire around his neck, it came out a garbled noise. Shirley noticed that Bo's arms had gone slack at his sides.  
  
Rika stepped out in front of Shirley. "If you say 'yes,' you'll have no choice but to play."  
  
"But..." Shirley said.  
  
Rika gripped the detective's shoulder tightly. "You don't understand!" she said through clenched teeth. "She's never lost a game, and if you lose, you'll endure untold suffering."  
  
Shirley threw Rika off, and her blue eyes met Tomie's yellow ones. "All right, Tomie. I accept your challenge."  
  
The wicked grin crossed the Gamer's face again. "Good."  
  
Tomie moved her hand, and the wire snaked its way to Shirley with its captive. It suddenly withdrew into Tomie's hand, and Bo fell to the ground. Shirley and the two Strangers were on him at once, and she and Sara helped him to his feet.  
  
"Are you all right?" Shirley asked her best friend.  
  
Bo gasped a little for air. "Never felt better," he said weakly, forcing himself to smile at her.  
  
Looking at Tomie, Shirley swore that she saw the fingers on her gloves vanish, exposing her bare fingers. "Well, then," she heard her say, and she watched as she snapped her fingers. "Let's start."  
  
Bo looked around him and blinked. "Um, Shirley, is it me, or is the sky starting to reach out for us?"  
  
Following Bo's gaze, Shirley saw the tendrils of darkness reach out from the night sky and the shadows around them. Some of them began circling the area while the rest shot upwards, and Shirley noticed that they were forming a dome.  
  
"Oh, don't mind that," Tomie said. "I'm just insuring us some privacy while we play."  
  
The dome solidified, and all was covered in darkness.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 9 


	11. Chapter 10

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 10  
  
by HA  
  
"I'll give you this, Blake," Molly said seconds before placing a piece of catfish into her mouth.  
  
"What?" Blake said as helped himself to more clam and pasta.  
  
Molly swallowed. "You know good food." As the chewed up seafood slid down her throat, she thought, *I can't believe I let him do that to me! The next time he tries to contradict me, I'm playing my trump card.*  
  
"Well, you did pick this place," Blake acknowledged. "How long have you been coming here?"  
  
Molly stared down at her plate and dragged another piece of catfish back and forth. "Oh, ever since I came to Redington, my parents and I usually come here when Daddy's having a business dinner in town with someone."  
  
"I see," Blake said, and he sighed. "It must be nice spending time with your entire family."  
  
"Not really," Molly said, looking up from her plate. "They're always talking about business and bridge." Her gaze returned to her plate. "It's always been like that since I was little."  
  
"Tell me about it," Blake said. "Whenever we eat out, Mom's always going on about a recent archelogical find, and Dad's always trying to avoid questions about his latest case."  
  
"Do you feel left out?" Molly asked before she could stop herself.  
  
"Not really," Blake said. "For one thing, I'm the one usually bugging Dad about his cases, and Mom has some interesting ideas about any digs she knows about." He stabbed a stray clam and held it up to his eyes. "I wish I could have those days back. You know, have them cut down on their out-of-country travel plans and just stay at home at the same time."  
  
"At least your parents care about you," Molly muttered.  
  
Blake heard her clearly, and for a while, neither of them spoke. Around them, the rest of the diners continued their meals and conversations.  
  
"Let me in there!"  
  
Blake blinked. "Hey, that sounds like..."  
  
"Sir, you can't come in yet! We're full!" they heard the maitre d yell.  
  
Molly looked up and groaned. "It is him," she said, annoyed at the sight.  
  
Blake, Molly, and the rest of the diners watched as Stink tried to get into the dining area. Normally, it would've been an easy task, but it proved to be difficult for the lovestruck lad with three men holding him back.  
  
"Let me go! I've got to get in there!" Stink yelled as he struggled in the men's tight grip.  
  
"Sir, we cannot have any more guests in the dining area," the maitre d pleaded. "Now, sit down or I'll have you thrown out or even have the police charge you with being a public nuisance."  
  
Along with the rest of the diners, Blake and Molly watched as Alicia entered. "Oh my," she said with a smile to the maitre d. "August, how long has it been?"  
  
"Ah, Miss Gianelli," the maitre d said, smiling. "How good of you to come here again."  
  
Alicia quickly paced herself with Stink and his captors. "Excuse my friend here. I told him how wonderful the food was here, and I guess he really wanted to come here."  
  
The maitre d looked at Stink, who had managed to calm himself a little. "I think your friend here is a little overzealous when it comes to food," he whispered to Alicia.  
  
"Well, he doesn't have all his eggs in one basket, if you get my drift," she whispered back.  
  
"I do, indeed," the maitre d said.  
  
"Tell you what," Alicia said as she scratched her chin. "I'll convince my friend here to wait for an opening, and you don't have to press charges against him for disrupting dinner."  
  
"I leave the situation to you, Miss Gianelli." The maitre d snapped his fingers, and the three men let go of their captive. "Nothing to see here, folks. Just enjoy your meal." With those words, the diners returned to their eating and conversations.  
  
"Thanks," Stink said as Alicia marched up to him and the men returned to their duties.  
  
Frowning, Alicia grabbed him by the arm. "Come on, loverboy," she said sternly as she dragged him to the waiting area. "Just sit down and shut up."  
  
Stink frowned back at her, but said nothing. Instead, he looked longingly at Molly, who was doing her best to keep her eyes on her plate. Once he and Alicia sat down, the diners resumed what they were doing.  
  
"I can't believe him," Molly said, glancing at Stink while stabbing at some catfish. "What did I do to deserve this?"  
  
"Do you really want to go into that?" Blake said, smiling.  
  
Molly did her best to ignore the remark and took a sip of water. "I mean, what's wrong with him? Why does he have to be so persistent?"  
  
"Can you blame him?" Blake said. "You are rather beautiful."  
  
Molly felt her cheeks heat up, and it took all of her willpower to keep her entire face from reddening. "Well...he's so annoying!"  
  
"So he's not your type," Blake said. "Say, what is your type?"  
  
Shocked at her date's audacity, Molly stared at him. Eventually, she regained her composure. "As far as the boys at Sussex Academy are concerned, no one there is my type."  
  
"Too good for them, huh?" Blake said.  
  
"Exactly," Molly said frankly.  
  
"You know, something's been bothering me," Blake admitted. "You just said no one at school's in your class, right?"  
  
"That's correct," Molly answered.  
  
"And it's no secret to me that this is all part of your twisted scheme to get to Shirley."  
  
"How true," Molly said, not even trying to supress the grin forming on her face.  
  
"Then why are we on this date?" Blake asked. "After all, you could've made what you stole from me public."  
  
Molly opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Her focus quickly shifted to her plate, and the catfish there became more interesting.  
  
"You know, you could've made me do whatever you want, yet you decided on this date," Blake continued. Rubbing his chin, he added, "Just out of curiosity, are you lonely?"  
  
"What?" Molly almost jumped out of her seat, and the grip around her fork tightened. With her teeth clenched, she glared at him, her fork at the ready.  
  
"I didn't mean to be rude," Blake said sincerely. "It's just that I've noticed you're alone most of the time."  
  
Molly's eyes narrowed at him. "What do you mean by that? Everyone at school's always trying to be with me or seen with me."  
  
"Yeah, but you don't seem to enjoy it that much," Blake said. "Sure, you like being the center of attention, but I've always noticed something about you." His hands gestured as he searched for the right words. "You always seem to separate yourself from everyone else, even in a crowd."  
  
Molly let her fork drop to her plate. "You've been hanging around Holmes too much for your own good."  
  
"Maybe you're right," Blake said with a small smile crossing his face.  
  
"I'm amazed at you," Molly admitted. "I'm in possession of something that could ruin you, yet you're acting like everything's normal."  
  
"Well, worrying won't help me," Blake responded. "My parents taught me that worrying about something won't change it."  
  
"I see," Molly said. "Your parents seem...interesting."  
  
"Yeah," Blake said. "When they were around, they always spent time with me." He poked a clam. "Guess I should be grateful for that, huh?" he said before puting it in his mouth.  
  
"I guess." Molly bowed her head. "I wish my parents would do that," she added, causing Blake to blink at this admission as he chewed his food. "I mean, it wouldn't kill them to make some time with me, right? After all, I'm just their only child, right?"   
  
While this dialogue had been taking place, Molly had been stabbing at the catfish on her plate with her fork every other word, and with each stab, she brought it down with more force. Finally, she left her fork standing in it and folded her arms across her chest, ignoring the stares from her date and the people around her.  
  
Stink and Alicia saw everything from the waiting area. "She looks pretty upset," Alicia said.  
  
"It's gotta be him," Stink said, glaring at Blake. "I've gotta..."  
  
He had started to rise out of his seat, but something pulled him down hard. "Siddown," Alicia grumbled, keeping her hand on his shoulder.  
  
Realizing the spectacle she was causing, Molly stopped herself and took a deep breath. Once it was clear nothinmg else would happen, the diners resumed eating, although some of them began questioning her sanity.  
  
"Are you okay?" Blake asked.  
  
Her breathing coming out rapidly, Molly glared at her date. "This is all your fault, you know," she said, her hands flexing into fists below the table.  
  
"Who, me?" Blake said innocently. "I think you need to talk to someone about this."  
  
Molly let out a disdainful "hmph." "If you're talking about seeing a psychaitrist, I've already done that."  
  
"You mean the person you saw about..."  
  
"It's been taken care of," Molly said. "Problem solved."  
  
"Are you sure?" Blake said. "Then why did I see you shaking like a leaf when I met up with you at the dorm?"  
  
"It was cold," Molly said quickly.  
  
Blake shrugged. "Also, you requested the waiter to turn up the lights when we ordered."  
  
"I like seeing my food in a good light," Molly said.  
  
"Finally, there's the makeup you put on underneath your eyes to cover the shadows there," Blake said. "In fact, you've been doing that a lot."  
  
Molly frowned. "You've definitely been hanging out with Holmes too much."  
  
Blake leaned closer towards Molly. "Look, just denying it won't help. What you went through..."  
  
"...is nothing, absolutely nothing," Molly said. "I'm fine, okay? I'm over it."  
  
"If you say so," Blake said, and he changed to another topic. "What was the most embarassing thing that ever happened to you?"  
  
Molly stared at Blake. "What?"  
  
"Come on!" Blake whispered, wearing a big grin.  
  
Molly's eyes narrowed. "I know your game."  
  
"What game?" Blake said.  
  
"You're looking for dirt on me for your little detective girlfriend," Molly said, and she eyed her fork. "If you think you can blackmail me, then you're..."  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Blake said, waving his hands in the air. "I'm just curious about you, that's all."  
  
Molly looked at her fork. "Explain."  
  
"Well..." Blake's fingers drummed on the table. "To be honest, I just want to know you a little better. I have no intention of blackmailing you."  
  
Molly took her eyes off her fork. "I don't believe you."  
  
"Look." Blake reached out and touched Molly's hand. While he talked, he failed to notice her looking away. "I give you my word that anything you tell me on this date will stay between us."  
  
Her cheeks burning a little, Molly pulled her hand away. "You will actually tell Holmes nothing?"  
  
Blake placed his hand on his heart and raised his other one. "I swear that I won't tell anything you reveal to me tonight."  
  
Molly frowned. "I've learned never to take the word of anyone."  
  
"I see." Blake eyed Molly's glass of water. "What about if I tell you some of my secrets?"  
  
Molly's ears perked up. "Intriguing, but what if I decide to use it to my advantage?"  
  
"Which brings me to the oath we need to take." Blake's eyes fell onto her glass. "Excuse me for a moment, but could you spit in your glass?" he requested.  
  
"What?" Molly asked wide-eyed.  
  
"Just do it," Blake said nicely.  
  
Molly frowned at him, but she noticed that Blake was watching her closely with a smile on his face. For a moment, she found his smile rather cute, but she shook the feeling off. Putting her fear aside, she put her mouth as close as she could to her glass, covered what she was doing with her hand, and seconds later, Blake heard a brief spitting sound.  
  
"Never thought you had it in you, Molly," Blake said, holding out his hand.  
  
Molly didn't look into his eyes as she handed over the glass. Quickly, Blake spit into the glass. "Now, just repeat what I say," he said. "I solemnly swear..."  
  
"I solemnly swear..." Molly repeated.  
  
"...that all secrets told between us..."  
  
"...that all secrets told between us..."  
  
"...will stay between us no matter what."  
  
"...will stay between us no matter what."  
  
Blake grinned. "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Much to his date's disgust, he drank half of the water.  
  
"Your turn," he said, handing the glass to her before she could protest.  
  
Molly just stared at the mixture of water and human saliva. "Um..."  
  
"If you don't finish the glass, it means I get to reveal any secrets you tell me," Blake explained.  
  
Molly raised an eyebrow. "This is rather childish, you know."  
  
"Maybe," Blake said, "but if you don't tell, I don't tell. Besides, if you're afraid..."  
  
A second after the word "afraid" left Blake's lips, Molly picked up the glass and downed all of its contents. AFter wincing, she swallowed all of the liquid.  
  
"See, that wasn't so hard," Blake said. "Now we're bound by the oath we swore."  
  
Molly slowly purged the thought that she had just swallowed water with saliva in it. "Where did you get that idea?"  
  
"Oh, a friend of mine and I used to do that a lot when I was still living in California," Blake revealed. "A lot better than pricking your finger and making a blood oath, in my opinion."  
  
"I see," Molly said, trying not to gag.  
  
Blake rubbed his chin. "Okay, now where were we?" He snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, our most embarassing moments." He gestured towards Molly and smiled good-naturedly. "Ladies first."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Standing still, Shirley searched the darkness for her friends. Unsuccessfully, her blue eyes scanned for life, but despite her apparent loneliness, she stayed calm. "Bo?" she yelled as loud as she could. "Rika? Sara?"  
  
Then, a light shone down before her, and Shirley saw something. A dark podium stood before her, and seeing nothing suspicious, she stepped forward. Once there, she noticed three small boxes on top of it. She was about to reach for one when the light revealed something in the distance to her left.  
  
"Bo!" Shirley exclaimed, and sure enough, there he was, along with Rika and Sara. All three were on a balcony above the ground.  
  
"Shirley!" Bo yelled, waving at his friend from above. "Any idea what's going on?"  
  
Shirley was about to offer her ideas on the situation, but the rest of the room revealed itself, and she found herself staring at what appeared to be a type of gridded sports arena. She noticed that another podium was located on the other side.  
  
"Welcome to the Battling Arena."  
  
Shirley looked ahead and saw Tomie standing at the podium on the other side. "What is all this?" she asked.  
  
"This is where we'll be playing our game," Tomie explained.  
  
"And what would that game be?" Shirley inquired.  
  
"One of my favorites," Tomie said, a smile crossing her face. "Monster Battler."  
  
Bo's jaw almost fell to the floor. "Monster Battler? You mean the card game?"  
  
"Oh no," Sara said.  
  
"Oh yes," Tomie said, the grin on her face widening.  
  
"That's not fair," Bo said, turning to Rika. "Shirley knows absolutely nothing about Monster Battler."  
  
"I believe that's the point," Rika said solemnly. "However, Shirley doesn't look too worried."  
  
Bo looked down at his friend and immediately saw the look on her face. He couldn't see any sign of worry or panic, and that was typical of her. *But she's about to play a game with a girl who's been turning people into statues! If she loses...*  
  
"Go ahead and pick a box," Tomie told her opponent.  
  
Shirley reached for the boxes, and the one on her left flew into her hand. Before she could say anything, all three boxes vanished in a cloud of smoke. Once she could see, Shirley noticed a deck of cards in her hand.  
  
"Well, there you go," Tomie said, and she showed Shirley her own deck. "Now, look at your playing podium."  
  
Shirley did so, and noticed that it had a similar grid to the larger one on the playing field. Two rows of five spaces were located in the center; the top one was labeled "Monster Zone" and the bottom "Magic/Trap Zone." To the left of the two rows were spaces labeled "Field Magic Zone" and "Fusion Deck" and to the right were spaces labeled "Deck" and "Graveyard." She quickly followed Tomie's example and put her deck onto the Deck space after shuffling it.  
  
A light appeared on each side of the podium, and each materialized shortly into a picture. Bo saw Shirley's face on his right and Tomie's on his left. Below each face was a number amount of 8000 written in large white characters.  
  
"Life Points set," Tomie said, noting the pictures and the numbers. "Now, let's Battle."  
  
Shirley copied Tomie's actions and drew five cards from her deck. She looked over her hand and studied her cards.  
  
"You may go first," Tomie said. "Draw a card."  
  
Shirley nodded and reached for her deck. As her fingertips touched the first card, Bo yelled, "Shirley, don't go first!"  
  
"Too late," Tomie said as Shirley drew her card. "Oh, and no outside help, or she'll automatically lose, and you all know what happens when someone loses to me."  
  
Shirley looked at her card and placed it in her hand. "All right," she said, "I'll Summon the Armored Angel Miniguard." She placed a card in the middle slot of the Monster Zone, and a light appeared in the corresponding spot on her grid.  
  
"Hey, what the...?" Bo exclaimed as the light became more defined.  
  
When the light had faded away, a small creature with angel wings and yellow eyes appeared. It was dressed in silver armor and held a tiny sword and a shield in its hands.  
  
Armored Angel Miniguard  
  
Level: 4  
  
Element: Light  
  
Type: Angel  
  
ATK: 1500  
  
DEF: 1200  
  
Despite seeing a nonexistent creature in 3-D before her, Shirley showed no sign of surprise on her face. On the other hand, Bo was trying to comprehend what was going on.  
  
"The card came to life?" Bo said, wide-eyed.  
  
"That will end my turn," Shirley said, glancing at her hand.  
  
"Hmmm...my turn." Tomie drew a card, looked at it, and then grinned. "Well, in response to your move, I Summon the Werewolf Warrior!" she declared as she placed the card on her podium.  
  
A large lupine creature appeared across from the Armored Angel Miniguard. Sporting a long gray mane, yellow eyes, and big, sharp white teeth along with spiked bracelets and kneepads, the Monster definitely fit its name. Once it was fully formed on the Field, it let out a loud howl.  
  
Werewolf Warrior  
  
Level: 4  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Beast Warrior  
  
ATK: 1800  
  
DEF: 1200  
  
"Now, Werewolf Warrior, destroy that Angel Miniguard!" Tomie commanded, pointing at Shirley's Monster.  
  
Roaring, the Werewolf Warrior charged at the Miniguard and slashed at it with its sharp claws. The target shuddered, and everyone watched as it quickly shattered into pieces. Once the Miniguard was gone, the Werewolf Warrior let out another loud howl.  
  
"Oh boy," Bo remarked as he watched Shirley's Life Points go down to 7700. "I can't believe she made a mistake like that. My cousins say that you should never start off with a weak Monster in Attack mode, especially since you can't Attack if you're starting the Battle."  
  
"At least she wasn't attacked directly," Sara pointed out.  
  
Tomie snickered. "Well, Shirley, it's your move."  
  
Staring at where her Miniguard once stood, Shirley drew a card and placed it in her hand. After scanning it, she picked a card and laid it in the Monster Zone in facedown horizontal position. A facedown card appeared in the corresponding spot on the Field. "That will end my turn," she said.  
  
Tomie looked at the Field. "That's it?" Smirking, she drew her card. "Well, I'll double my attack force by Summoning the Zombie Soldier!"  
  
Bo, Rika, and Sara watched as a zombie clad in a military helmet and a torn soldier's uniform appeared on the Field alongside the Werewolf Warrior. Drool dripped from its open, toothy mouth as it slouched before Shirley's Set Monster. It gripped a rifle in its long, rotted claws.  
  
Zombie Soldier  
  
Level: 3  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Zombie  
  
ATK: 1600  
  
DEF: 0  
  
Tomie pointed at the Set Monster. "Werewolf Warrior, attack!"  
  
The Werewolf Warrior howled skyward and rushed at the facedown card. It leaped into the air and with two swipes of its claws, it slashed the card into pieces.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 10 


	12. Chapter 11

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 11  
  
by HA  
  
Watching Molly and Blake from afar, Stink let out a snarl. "This is   
  
not right," he commented, opening and closing his hands into fists.   
  
"This is not right."  
  
"Oh, will you stop it already?" Alicia grumbled as she held her head   
  
up. "I had to have the day off today," she muttered to herself. "Why   
  
couldn't I just ask to work today?"  
  
"Why would you want to do that?" Stink asked.  
  
Alicia's face assumed a dreamy look, and she sighed. "There's this   
  
new waiter at the Quazar Cafe, and he is so good-looking," she gushed.   
  
"He doesn't speak much, but when he does, he has this sexy European   
  
accent..."  
  
Stink rolled his eyes. "How typical of you."  
  
Alicia glared at him. "What?"  
  
"Look at you. Always going ga-ga over some cute guy." Stink smiled   
  
and batted his eyelashes. "Oh, look at me. My name is Alicia, and I   
  
like throwing myself at the feet of every cute guy I see," he said in a   
  
high-pitched voice. "I can't help but be attracted to guys with sexy   
  
accents."  
  
Alicia snarled behind clenched teeth. "At least I don't constantly   
  
obsess over someone who'll never pay any attention to me." She paused   
  
with a frown. "Wait, that didn't come out right."  
  
Stink couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. "Man, are we messed   
  
up or what?" he said, grinning.  
  
"Hmph." Alicia looked at Molly. "Last time I checked, I don't stalk   
  
the guys I like."  
  
It was Stink's turn to snarl. "Hey, for one thing, I don't stalk   
  
people."  
  
"Right," Alicia said. "Sure you don't."  
  
"Also," Stink continued, "at least I only have one person in mind.   
  
Meanwhile, you keep throwing yourself at every good looking boy you see."  
  
Alicia sputtered and held her finger up. "Well, at least I'm not   
  
sticking to one person like you are."  
  
"And what's wrong with that?" Stink said. "I've found the perfect   
  
person for me while you're still searching."  
  
"What in your right mind makes you think Molly's the one for you?"   
  
Alicia asked. "She's constantly putting you down and absolutely doesn't   
  
want anything to do with you. In fact, why do you even keep trying?"  
  
"I...I..." Stink searched for something to say. "I'm not sure, but I   
  
just know we're meant to be together."  
  
"How?" Alicia stared at him unbelievingly.  
  
"Well...um..." Stink scratched his cheek and chin. "I just have this   
  
feeling about her, that's all."  
  
Alicia frowned. "I think you need to widen your options. In fact,   
  
you really need to date."  
  
Stink looked at Molly and sighed. "Believe me, I wish I could."  
  
"With other people," Alicia stressed to him.  
  
"Like you?" Stink said, still looking at the beautiful blonde in the   
  
distance. "Tell me, Alicia. After ogling over all those guys and going   
  
out with them, have you found that special someone yet?"  
  
"Not really," Alicia said after a moment of silence, "but then, I'm   
  
not exactly in a hurry to settle down with one guy. I'm still young, you   
  
know. However..." Again, another moment of silence. "It would be   
  
nice to find that special someone."  
  
"Yeah, same here," Stink said.  
  
Both of them watched as Molly laughed in response to something Blake   
  
had said. Her head was tilted back, and she was gripping the edge of   
  
the table tightly.  
  
"Now that's something you don't see every day," Alicia said as she   
  
stared wide-eyed at the sight.  
  
Molly allowed the rest of her laughter to leave her mouth. "I can't   
  
believe you even did that," she said, wiping away a tear.  
  
"Looking back, I can't either," Blake said.  
  
Molly grinned and let out a small giggle. "So, how did your mom's   
  
friends take it?"  
  
Blake took a small sip from his water glass, and he swallowed deeply.   
  
"Oh, as best as they could after seeing a naked three-year-old running   
  
around in the living room." He scratched his chin. "I think one of   
  
them spit out her tea."  
  
Still giggling, Molly shook her head. "Honestly, what were you   
  
thinking?"  
  
"I'm not so sure," Blake said with a shrug. "I guess I just felt like   
  
it at the time."  
  
"You must have," Molly said, stifling her laughter with her hand.  
  
"Well, we all have our moments," Blake admitted, giving Molly a   
  
pointed look.  
  
  
  
"Yes." Molly lowered her head.  
  
The jovial mood vanished immediately. "They actually did that to   
  
you?" Blake dared to ask.  
  
Molly propped her head on her hand. "I guess it wasn't exactly a bad   
  
thing they didn't show up then. After all, I did mess up that badly."  
  
"I wouldn't say missing two to three notes in separate places   
  
'badly,'" Blake said. "Besides, you still won."  
  
"True, but..." Molly sighed. "It felt lonely out there. All the   
  
other kids had their parents congratulating them after the competition was   
  
done. Meanwhile, I had to wait for one of Daddy's employees to take me   
  
home." A bitter laugh came out of her mouth. "Not that that should   
  
bother me, of course. I don't need anybody."  
  
"You know," Blake said, sipping his water, "there's no such thing as a   
  
self-made person."  
  
Molly stared at him incredulously and blinked. "Come again?"  
  
"Think about it." Blake traced the rim of his glass. "If that were   
  
true, we'd have to give birth to ourselves and gain knowledge on our own   
  
without any outside help. Heck, people who call themselves 'self-made'   
  
sometimes praise God." Before Molly could ask what the point of that   
  
nugget of observation, he said, "No one can ever truly exist alone."  
  
Molly raised an eyebrow. "You are definitely an interesting one,   
  
Blake Hewitt."  
  
"Why, thank you, Miss Hardy," Blake said, grinning at her.  
  
"I do question your taste in women, however," Molly added. "Whatever   
  
do you see in Holmes?"  
  
Blake looked to the ceiling and rubbed his chin. "Well..." He rubbed   
  
his chin harder. "For one thing, she's not like other girls. She   
  
doesn't try to conform, and she doesn't care about what other people   
  
think."  
  
"Her fashion sense isn't exactly great, and she's not exactly drop   
  
dead gorgeous," Molly remarked.  
  
Blake shrugged. "So? Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,   
  
remember?"  
  
"Perhaps," Molly said, and before she could stop herself, she allowed   
  
a thought she had tried to suppress to become speech. "Just out of   
  
curiosity, how do you know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"That you're in love with someone."  
  
"Oh." Blake tapped the table with his finger. "Um...well, when you   
  
see someone and start feeling funny, like your stomach getting queasy,   
  
and later you start thinking about him or her constantly, that's when   
  
you know."  
  
"I see," Molly said with a nod. "Good thing I'm above that."  
  
"Of course," Blake said.  
  
"I mean, it's so pathetic," Molly continued. "Having feelings for   
  
someone you don't know and may never even talk to? It's just not   
  
logical."  
  
"Whoever said love was logical?" Blake commented.  
  
After a brief pause, Molly continued speaking. "Then there's when   
  
people actually get together. Now, what's there to guarantee   
  
their...love...will last?"  
  
Blake just shrugged. "What can I say? Love is illogical." He looked   
  
over the now cleaned plates on the table. "I hope you're not above   
  
dessert."  
  
"Something light, if you please," Molly insisted.  
  
"But of course," Blake said, and he waved over the waiter.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Say goodbye to your Monster and more of your Life Points!" Tomie   
  
declared as her Monster finished its attack.  
  
"I think not," Shirley said.  
  
"What does she mean by that?" Bo wondered out loud. "Fuzzy destroyed   
  
her Defense Monster, and now that rotted corpse's gonna hit her   
  
directly."  
  
In fact, the Zombie Soldier raised its rifle at Shirley and prepared   
  
to fire. It chuckled a little as drool dropped from its jaw.  
  
However, once the Werewolf Warrior returned to its space, it let out a   
  
loud howl. Everyone watched as it shook its paws and ran back and   
  
forth. With its rifle still aimed at Shirley, the Zombie Soldier looked at   
  
its fellow Monster as it jumped down while continuing to wave its paws   
  
and howl in pain.  
  
Tomie blinked, and she nearly dropped her hand. "Nani?"  
  
Shirley's shattered card began to reform, and a mole wearing a helmet   
  
and holding a large shield appeared. As the Werewolf Warrior howled in   
  
pain again, the mole grinned.  
  
Mole Defender  
  
Level: 3  
  
Element: Earth  
  
Type: Beast  
  
ATK: 500  
  
DEF: 2000  
  
"I guess that's what she meant," Rika said. "Shirley won't be losing   
  
Life Points. Tomie will."  
  
Bo and the others watched as Tomie's Life Points dropped to 7800.   
  
"Well, that's good," he said, "but Tomie's still has two Monsters on the   
  
Field."  
  
Tomie looked at the Mole Defender and its huge shield. "Clever," she   
  
said. "You seem to know a little more about Monster Battler that what   
  
I gave you credit for."  
  
"I did some research on the game," Shirley said. "Do you end your   
  
turn?"  
  
Tomie glared at the Mole Defender. "Well, I can't attack your Monster   
  
due to its high Defense, so I'll just end my turn by Setting this   
  
card," she said, laying a card facedown in her Magic/Trap Zone.  
  
Shirley watched as a spot behind Tomie's Monsters flashed brightly.   
  
Drawing a card, she quickly placed it into her hand and looked at all   
  
her cards. "First off, I'll use this card, Magical Storm of   
  
Devastation." She placed a green card in her Magic/Trap Zone, and dark clouds   
  
formed above both Magic/Trap Zones on the Field.  
  
Magical Storm of Devastation  
  
Normal Magic  
  
Destroys all Magic and Trap Cards on the Field.  
  
Lightning flew down from the sky and struck both Battlers' Magic/Trap   
  
Zones. Nothing happened to Shirley's side, but the card on Tomie's   
  
side glowed for a moment before exploding.  
  
"Well, there goes my Bottomless Pit Trap," Tomie said without any sign   
  
of worry in her voice.  
  
"I guess it's safe to play this Monster then," Shirley said, and she   
  
placed a card in her Monster Zone. "I'm Summoning the Elven Mage."  
  
A blue skinned figure in white robes and matching hat appeared next to   
  
the Mole Defender. Feet filling curved shoes stuck out from the bottom   
  
of the robes. His ears were pointy and long. His solemn blue eyes   
  
focused on the two Monsters before him as he gripped his magical staff at   
  
his side.  
  
Elven Mage  
  
Level: 4  
  
Element: Light  
  
Type: Magician  
  
ATK: 1900  
  
DEF: 500  
  
"Elven Mage, attack the Zombie Soldier," Shirley ordered, pointing at   
  
the armed walking corpse.  
  
The Elven Mage pointed his staff at the target creature and fired a   
  
lightning bolt at it. The Zombie Soldier shook violently under the   
  
attack, and in mere seconds, it exploded into ashes. Its helmet and rifle   
  
fell to the ground and shattered upon impact.  
  
Tomie's Life Points fell to 7500, yet the Gamer of the Dark refused to   
  
show any sign of distress. In fact, she merely smiled. "Not bad," she   
  
said.  
  
"Okay, she's not worried," Bo remarked.  
  
Sara checked the scores. "Well, there's no big difference between   
  
their Life Points. It's still anyone's game."  
  
"Unfortunately for Shirley, Tomie still has the advantage of   
  
experience," Rika said.  
  
Shirley studied the current situation on the Field and looked through   
  
her hand. "I'll Set this card and end my turn," she said, placing a   
  
card facedown in her Magic/Trap Zone.  
  
"Well then..." Tomie drew a card. "Since my current Monster can't   
  
destroy any of yours, I'll Sacrifice it for a more powerful one, the Iron   
  
Berserker."  
  
The Werewolf Warrior vanished and was soon replaced by a giant armored   
  
figure. Two yellow eyes shone from the inside of his horned helmet,   
  
and his right hand gripped a large battle-axe. Letting out a loud roar,   
  
he raised his mighty weapon in the air.  
  
Iron Berserker  
  
Level: 6  
  
Element: Earth  
  
Type: Warrior  
  
ATK: 2200  
  
DEF: 1400  
  
"Now, Iron Berserker, attack...!" Tomie began.  
  
"I'm afraid your Monster won't be on the Field too long to attack,"   
  
Shirley said, flipping over her facedown card.  
  
Bo and the others watched as a hole appeared underneath the Iron   
  
Berserker. He roared loudly as gravity took over, and he descended quickly   
  
into the unknown void.  
  
Tomie let out a little snarl. "Well, looks like you were prepared   
  
with a Trap of your own."  
  
"I was." Shirley held up the card she had activated, a red one   
  
picturing a monster stuck in a hole. "I believe you had the same thing   
  
prepared for me."  
  
Bottomless Pit  
  
Normal Trap  
  
This card can only be activated in response to a Summon (Special Summon   
  
excluded). When an opposing Monster with an ATK equal to or greater   
  
than 1000 is Summoned, it is destroyed.  
  
Tomie smiled. "Not a bad move. I'm amazed at what you've been able   
  
to do despite your current mental state."  
  
Shirley kept a poker face, but her eyes were giving her opponent the   
  
same glare she gave Bo whenever he made a smart-alecky remark. "Do you   
  
end your turn?"  
  
"After I Set this card," Tomie answered, and a facedown card appeared   
  
on the Field's Magic/Trap Zone. "Now, I end my turn."  
  
Shirley drew her card and checked her hand. "I'll Summon the Forest   
  
Light Fairy," she announced.  
  
A green light appeared next to the Elven Mage. Soon enough, a small   
  
creature clad in green became visible to all. Lithe and milky skinned,   
  
she hovered above the ground effortlessly thanks to her butterfly   
  
wings.  
  
Forest Light Fairy  
  
Level: 3  
  
Element: Light  
  
Type: Faerie  
  
ATK: 900  
  
DEF: 700  
  
Increase this Monster's ATK by 500 for each Light Monster on your side of the Field. If there is no Light Monster on your side of the Field, this Monster is destroyed.  
  
"Whoa," Bo said. "If Shirley pulls this off, Tomie will be at 3700."  
  
"Go, Shirley, go!" Sara cheered, waving her fists in the air.  
  
"Hmmmmmmm..." Rika surveyed the Field and noted the lack of Monsters   
  
on Tomie's side. She especially paid attention to the facedown card in   
  
the Magic/Trap Zone.  
  
Shirley eyed Tomie and pointed at her. "Forest Light Fairy, attack   
  
her Life Points directly."  
  
A ball of light formed in the Fairy's hands, and without hesitation,   
  
she flung it at Tomie. Everyone watched as it streaked towards its   
  
target.  
  
Tomie grinned widely. "Activating Trap Card!" she said as she flipped   
  
over her facedown card.  
  
An image of an elderly bearded man in a white robe appeared over   
  
Tomie, and as the attack approached, he raised his hand. When the attack   
  
reached Tomie, it just passed through her.  
  
"What the...?" Bo exclaimed as Tomie's Life Points remained untouched.  
  
Tomie smirked and held up the card she had activated. "Good thing I   
  
had my White Wizard's Intervention ready."  
  
White Wizard's Intervention  
  
Normal Trap  
  
During the turn this card is activated, all Battle Damage inflicted on   
  
the user is reduced to zero.  
  
"You mean Shirley can't attack you?" Bo asked.  
  
Tomie snickered wickedly as she placed the White Wizard's Intervention   
  
into her Graveyard. "Oh, she can, but it won't do her any good since   
  
she can't touch my Life Points."  
  
Shirley looked at her hand. "I'll end my turn."  
  
"Very well." Tomie drew a card. "Ah, I'll Set this along with this,"   
  
she said, placing it in her Monster Zone and another in her Magic/Trap   
  
Zone. The two Set cards appeared on the Field. "I'll just end my   
  
turn."  
  
Shirley nodded and drew her card. She held it up to her face and   
  
scanned it closely before placing it in her hand. "Forest Light Fairy,   
  
attack the facedown Monster," she ordered.  
  
The Fairy held out her hands and formed another energy ball. However,   
  
Bo's eyes were focused on the two facedown cards on Tomie's side of the   
  
Field, and his mind was full of doubt. "Shirley, wait!" he yelled.  
  
The warning came too late. The Fairy unleashed her attack on the   
  
facedown Monster, and Tomie just stood there as the target exploded into   
  
pieces.  
  
"Now she's open to a direct attack," Sara said, looking at Tomie.  
  
In fact, Shirley was about to do just that when something made her   
  
stop. To be more specific, the pieces of the target started to reform   
  
into a strange shape. Soon, a stooped-over shadow with glowing red eyes;   
  
a long snout; long, thin limbs; and a shell appeared.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Bo exclaimed.  
  
Tomie grinned. "Now, Fiend Leecher!" she yelled, pointing at Shirley.  
  
The shadow rolled back and shot out its arms and snout towards   
  
Shirley. As they bypassed her Monsters, Shirley noticed the suckers on the   
  
ends of the snout and fingers. Suddenly, she found herself listening to   
  
a sucking noise along with feeling moistness around her head, for the   
  
fingers fixed themselves on the sides of her head and the snout attached   
  
itself to her forehead.  
  
"Shirley!" Bo screamed as he leaned over the edge of the balcony, his   
  
hands gripping it tightly until his knuckles turned white.  
  
Then, Shirley felt pain. The suckers began to move quickly, and they   
  
sucked as hard as they could. She felt them digging into her flesh,   
  
and she automatically began doing the breathing exercises Gran had taught   
  
her. As the pain flowed from her head to her body, her breathing   
  
quickened. A few seconds later, for the second time that week, her   
  
emotional control broke down, and as her eyes widened, her mouth released a   
  
loud, long scream that echoes throughout the arena.  
  
"Shirley! Shirley!"  
  
She couldn't hear Bo's yelling very well, and she could only faintly   
  
feel the suckers withdraw from her flesh. Her eyelids became heavy, and   
  
she allowed gravity to take her down. When she hit the floor, images   
  
of Bo and Blake appeared in front of her eyes before they closed.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 11 


	13. Chapter 12

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 12  
  
by HA  
  
Everyone watched as the shadow vanished from the Field, but Shirley remained unconscious on the floor. From the balcony, Rika studied her. "She's still breathing, if you're wondering," she told Bo.  
  
Bo said nothing, and he began climbing onto the edge of the balcony. "What are you doing?" Sara asked, panicking.  
  
"I'm going down there!" Bo replied with one foot on the edge with the other soon to follow. Thoughts of helping his best friend overrode his own safety, considering the great distance between the balcony and the arena floor. "I've gotta...!"  
  
"Look out!" Rika yelled, grabbing him by the shoulder.  
  
The move turned out to be timely, for three spiral shuriken flew past Bo's nose as he was yanked away. Rika caught him in her arms just before his butt met the floor. "Let go of me!" he yelled, struggling to get loose.  
  
"Interference will not be tolerated, remember?"  
  
Tomie's cold remark made Bo glare at her. "The hell with that!" Bo yelled.  
  
"If you interfere, she'll lose automatically," the Gamer of the Dark said, "and you know what will happen if she loses."  
  
Bo almost threw Rika off him. "Yeah, yeah," he said, still glaring at Tomie as he straightened himself up. "What did you do to her?"  
  
Tomie smiled that familiar cold smile. "Actually, she did it to herself when she attacked my Fiend Leecher."  
  
Fiend Leecher  
  
Level: 3  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Demon  
  
ATK: 1000  
  
DEF: 1000  
  
FLIP: Drain 1000 LP from your opponent and add it to your own.  
  
Sara noted the scores and saw that Tomie had 8500 Life Points while Shirley had 6700. "Not good."  
  
"Not quite," Rika said. "Shirley can attack again."  
  
"If she can wake up," Sara said, looking at the unconscious Shirley, who was still not showing any signs of life.  
  
"If she doesn't, she'll lose the Battle automatically," Tomie informed everyone.  
  
Bo clenched his fists and was about to run down there when he realized there was no staircase leading to the arena floor. "Great," he muttered as he punched the edge of the balcony as hard as he could.  
  
Tomie folded her arms over her chest and looked towards the opposite side. "Now, let's see if she's strong enough to wake up."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So, what do you ultimately want?"  
  
Molly paused, her fork hovering over her half-eaten cheesecake with a good chunk of it hanging from it. "Come again?" she asked, staring at Blake.  
  
"Well, what do you want that you feel you really want?" Blake elaborated, poking at a stray strawberry on his plate and occasionally dragging it through the pool of strawberry sauce. "Your greatest desire, I suppose."  
  
"You first," Molly said.  
  
Blake touched his chin lightly with the end of his fork. "Well, I'd like a world where it's safe for people to live out their lives." He bowed his head. "You know, make sure no one ever gets blown up in a car bomb or something like that."  
  
"Hmmmmmmm..." Molly scratched her chin. "I'd say total control."  
  
"Really," Blake said, propping his head on his hand.  
  
"Oh, I'm not saying 'world domination' or something silly sounding like that," Molly said. "I mean I want total control of the world around me. I want to be able to control the destinies of important people in every field."  
  
"I assume that includes being in control of your own life," Blake said.  
  
"Of course," Molly said.  
  
Blake took a bite out his cheesecake and chewed it quickly. "Naturally, love doesn't factor into your plans."  
  
"Naturally," Molly said. "I don't need it." She stabbed her cheesecake hard and pulled out a piece. "I don't need it at all," she said right before popping it into her mouth, and as soon as she chewed and swallowed it, she spoke again. "After all, it's not going to solve all your problems."  
  
"True," Blake said, "but it helps."  
  
Molly glared at him and focused on her dessert. Both of them continued to eat in silence with the exception of their chewing and savoring of their dishes.  
  
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Molly finally said.  
  
"Hmm?" Blake said, holding a piece of crust to his mouth.  
  
"Love being able to help you through your problems," Molly clarified.  
  
"Well..." The crust fell from Blake's fork and landed on top of the remainder of his cake. "When something's really got you down, it's nice to have a loved one with you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why, to be there with you in times of need," Blake answered. "Someone to talk to and support you as best as they can."  
  
Molly shot him a puzzled look. "And why would you want that?"  
  
Blake ate another piece of cake before continuing the conversation. "Because you can't go through life alone. Oh, sure, you can live on your own and not have a significant other, but you still need some sort of contact with humans, and not in a situation where you're assumning the role of the superior while everyone else is inferior."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
Blake gave Molly a funny look. "You really have a lot of questions, don't you?"  
  
"I'm just curious, that's all," Molly said quickly.  
  
"If you say so," Blake said, letting out a small laugh. "Anyway, it isn't really love when one person is lording it over the other. True love is a partnership where both people trust each other."  
  
Molly frowned. "Like I said before, how pathetic. Putting your trust in someone who might stab you in the back later when given the chance...please. Only idiots and fools would risk their fragile little psyches for love."  
  
Blake shrugged. "If you say so." He was about to finish his cake when a thought crossed his mind that urged him to put it in words. "You know, you remind me of someone who I knew back in California."  
  
"Oh really?" Molly said, raising a suspicious eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah," Blake said, tapping the edge of his plate with his fork. "Paige Michaels, the most popular girl in school. Blond hair, good looks, always in shape, dad was an important guy in the business world...she was always wearing the latest fashions and rubbing her status in. Oh, and she tended to use her influence to get anything she wanted. Anyone who got in her way got crushed. Sound familiar?"  
  
"Maybe," Molly said, tightening her grip on her fork.  
  
"All the girls wanted to be like her, and all the guys wanted her," Blake continued. "However, she always rejected their advances thanks to her "better-than-you" attitude. Kept saying she was above us losers, she did." He rubbed his chin. "I hope she's doing all right."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Molly asked.  
  
"When I was about to leave, she was admitted to a fancy clinic by her parents," Blake recalled. "Apparently, she overdosed on some of her mom's sleeping pills while she was taking a bath. Good thing she got immediate medical attention, or she'd be dead. Last time I checked, she was on suicide watch there and was seeing a psychiatrist. Some of the kids thought she did it in order to get attention from her parents. Others thought she was serious about killing herself as a way to escape everything." He sighed. "I think it was both. I guess being the golden girl isn't all that it's cracked up to be."  
  
Molly's fork fell from her hand and clanged onto her plate. "I won't end up like that," she said in a low voice after a moment of uneasy silence.  
  
"Hmm?" Blake said.  
  
Molly raised her voice loud enough so only Blake could hear her. "I'll never end up like that, you hear me?"  
  
"I never said that," Blake said innocently. "Now, let's finish our delicious dessert, shall we?"  
  
Once again, silence dominated the dining with the exception of some enthusiastic chewing and swallowing.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Come on, come on..." Sara muttered nervously as her stomach did flip-flops, her eyes fully focused on the unconscious Shirley on the floor.  
  
Tomie whistled a tune Bo couldn't recognize. Gradually, it increased in volume and became the only sound in the arena as it echoed around the walls.  
  
Bo punched the edge of the balcony again. "Stop that!" he yelled, ignoring the throbbing in his hand.  
  
The whistling stopped abruptly. "My, aren't we touchy. Not a big fan of 'Shuffle, huh?" Tomie said, glancing at the two cards in her hand. "Perhaps someone should forfeit the game on her behalf."  
  
"I doubt anyone here will do that," Rika stated, glaring at Tomie.  
  
"It's been five minutes, I believe," Tomie stated, returning the glare.  
  
The glaring between the two girls didn't escape Bo's notice. "Hey, what exactly is the connection between these two?" he whispered to Sara.  
  
"Look!" Sara suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the arena floor.  
  
All eyes were on Shirley, who was beginning to stir. A low moan escaped her lips, and her fingers slowly began to move. Soon, her legs began to move along with her arms, and her eyes flickered open.  
  
"Shirley!" Bo shouted with relief.  
  
"Well, look who's up," Tomie commented as Shirley picked herself up. "Still want to continue?"  
  
Shirley bent down and picked her four cards up. Standing up again, she studied the current Field, and then she locked her eyes onto her opponent. "Let's."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 12 


	14. Chapter 13

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 13  
  
by HA  
  
"How long are they going to be there?" Stink grumbled as he kept his   
  
head up as best as he could.  
  
"There's the waiter with the check," Alicia pointed out.  
  
At the table, the waiter presented the check to Blake. "Ah," he said   
  
as he looked it over. Without any hesitation, he took out his credit   
  
card and handed it over to the waiter.  
  
"You have a credit card," Molly said as the waiter left.  
  
"It's for emergencies," Blake said. "I prefer to pay for stuff in   
  
cash, to be honest."  
  
"You'd rather pay for everything in cash?" Molly stared incredulously   
  
at Blake.  
  
"At least that way I know I'm getting something back." Blake grinned.   
  
"Besides, I don't have to worry about paying any interest."  
  
"Ah," Molly said. "We'd better get going."  
  
"Get going?" Blake gave Molly a stunned look. "You mean that's it?"  
  
Molly gave Blake him a suspicious look. "What are you getting at?"  
  
"You don't want to do anything else?" Blake asked.  
  
"What's there to do?" Molly said. "I just wanted to eat out and go   
  
back to the dorms."  
  
"I see," Blake said. As the waiter brought back his credit card, he   
  
pondered the current situation. He knew what Molly had intended to do   
  
once she was back in her dorm room, and he was very thankful for her   
  
following the oath they took earlier.  
  
"Well, you seem to have a good idea of what we can do to finish this   
  
date," Molly said as Blake took back his credit card and thanked the   
  
waiter for his service.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do," Blake said.  
  
Molly arched an eyebrow at him. "Enlighten me."  
  
"For one thing, we don't have to leave the area," Blake revealed.  
  
"Really," Molly said.  
  
"For another, it's right across the street," Blake continued.  
  
Molly froze. "You mean...?"  
  
Blake nodded. "Uh-huh."  
  
Molly frowned. "I'm holding you to your oath."  
  
Blake laughed good-naturedly. "And I'll hold you to yours."  
  
Stink and Alicia watched as Blake and Molly rose from their table.   
  
"Yes," Stink muttered to himself.  
  
The maitre d appeared at Alicia's side. "Miss Gianelli, I believe   
  
there's now an opening for you and your friend."  
  
"What?" Stink exclaimed, staring at the maitre d. "We're not..."  
  
Laughing nervously, Alicia clapped her hand on Stink's mouth. "That's   
  
great news." She leaned towards Stink's ear. "Don't be rude," she   
  
whispered. "To refuse to step into the dining room after waiting to be   
  
seated here is a great insult to the restaurant."  
  
"But..." Stink began to whisper back as Alicia removed her hand.  
  
"We have no choice," Alicia said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You   
  
don't want to offend these good people, do you?"  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Stink, Alicia."  
  
Both saw Blake and Molly before them. "What are you guys doing here?"   
  
Blake continued.  
  
Stink and Alicia stared at each other, and then at Blake and Molly.   
  
"Um, uh, er..." both said, searching for something to say other than "We   
  
were just seeing how you two were doing." At least, that was what   
  
Alicia was trying to avoid saying. Stink was fighting the urge to yell   
  
"How could you?" at Molly and "You!" at Blake before jumping him and   
  
causing a row.  
  
Frowning at her two schoolmates, Molly grabbed Blake's hand. "Let's   
  
get this over with, okay?" she told her date, and she yanked him toward   
  
the door.  
  
"See you guys later," Blake called out to them as Molly dragged him   
  
out of the restaurant.  
  
Stink watched helplessly as Molly and Blake continued on their way.   
  
Keeping an eye on them, he slowly moved his foot toward the door.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Stink froze upon hearing the voice of the maitre d. "Uh, coming," he   
  
said, chuckling nervously while still glancing outside.  
  
As he joined Alicia, she whispered to him angrily, "For the record,   
  
this is all your fault."  
  
As Alicia and Stink were ushered into the dining room while arguing in   
  
low tones over whose fault the whole situation was, Molly and Blake   
  
stood next to their bikes. "Tell me again why we're going over there,"   
  
Molly inquired as she looked straight ahead.  
  
Blake shrugged as his smile widened. "I dunno. It's something I've   
  
never done before."  
  
"Neither have I, and I have a good reason," Molly said, looking at the   
  
sign over the wide glass window on the building across the seat.   
  
"'Sal's Pizza and Karaoke Bar'?" she commented after reading the red and   
  
green lettering. "Sounds tacky."  
  
"Sounds interesting," Blake said, studying the place carefully. "I've   
  
heard a lot about this place. Some of the local kids come here to try   
  
out their vocal cords when they're not too busy stuffing themselves   
  
with pizza."  
  
"Great," Molly said, wincing. "Tell me why I should go over there   
  
with you."  
  
"Well..." Blake looked across the street. "For one thing, you won't   
  
be alone."  
  
"That's nice. We can suffer together," Molly said dryly.  
  
"Exactly," Blake said, flashing her an impish grin. "Come on!" he   
  
beckoned her before dashing across the empty street.  
  
Rolling her eyes back and letting a frustrated groan pass through her   
  
lips, Molly stood her ground. When Blake called her name as he waved   
  
her over, she considered mounting her bike and riding back to Sussex.   
  
However, for some odd reason, she found herself heeding his voice, and   
  
she ran as fast as she could to join him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"If I recall, it's still your turn," Tomie told Shirley as she checked   
  
her own hand.  
  
The young detective looked at the Field. "Elven Mage, attack."  
  
Bo quickly noticed the facedown card in Tomie's Magic/Trap Zone.   
  
"Shirley, wait!"  
  
The Elven Mage eyed the emptiness before him and aimed his staff at   
  
Tomie. Everyone bore witness as he unleashed a powerful blast at the   
  
Gamer of the Dark.  
  
"Should've listened to your friend," Tomie said with a snicker. "I   
  
activate my Trap now!"  
  
The card flipped over, and a magnet on a spring shot out. It attached   
  
itself to the Mole Defender and dragged it over to Tomie's side as the   
  
Mage's blast streaked towards its target. Just as the blast reached   
  
its target, it hit the Mole Defender's shield.  
  
"Thanks to my Magical Magnet, Shirley, you lose 100 Life Points!"   
  
Tomie declared.  
  
Magical Magnet  
  
Permanent Trap  
  
Seize control of one of your opponent's Monsters permanently. Pay 500   
  
Life Points at your Standby Phase to keep this card on the Field.  
  
Shirley's Life Points dropped to 6600. "Well, at least it isn't that   
  
bad," Sara said.  
  
Shirley looked at her repossessed Mole Defender, noticed that the Mole   
  
Defender card was missing from her podium, and then checked her hand.   
  
"I'll end my turn."  
  
"Excellent." Tomie grinned as she drew her card. "Perfect."  
  
Bo frowned as he looked at the Gamer of the Dark. "I don't like the   
  
looks of this."  
  
"First, I'll pay for the Magical Magnet so I can keep your Mole   
  
Defender under my control," Tomie said, and her Life Points fell to 8000.   
  
"Then, I'll activate The Snatching Claw," she said, placing a card in her   
  
Magic/Trap Zone. A large green claw shot out of the corresponding   
  
space on the Field and seized the Elven Mage in its tight grasp.  
  
The Snatching Claw  
  
Normal Magic  
  
Take control of one of your opponent's Monsters regardless of its   
  
position until the end of the turn.  
  
"I don't like the looks of this," Bo said.  
  
The claw dragged the Mage to Tomie's side of the Field and placed it   
  
next to the Mole Defender. Holding his staff at his side, the Mage   
  
glared at his former master. Shirley saw that the Elven Mage card was gone   
  
from her podium, and she watched as her Forest Light Fairy vanished, leaving her Field wide open.  
  
"Well, look on the bright side," Sara said. "At least there won't be   
  
much damage to Shirley's Life Points when Tomie attacks."  
  
"Unless she's going to do what I think she's going to do," Rika said   
  
solemnly.  
  
Tomie grinned. "Rika, you know me too well." She pulled a card from   
  
her hand. "I'll Sacrifice these two to bring out my favorite Monster!"   
  
she declared as she sent the two Monsters on her side to the card   
  
Graveyard and replaced them with the card she selected.  
  
Shirley watched as her two former Monsters vanished from the Field.   
  
Soon, a larger mass replaced them, and it roared loudly as it took   
  
shape. The young detective's blue eyes took in a dark reptile with eight   
  
heads and eight tails. Its eight pairs of red eyes stared down at   
  
Shirley, and its eight mouths hung open to reveal long, sharp fangs.  
  
  
  
Yamata no Orochi  
  
Level: 8  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Dragon  
  
ATK: 3000  
  
DEF: 2800  
  
"Okay, now I really don't like the looks of this," Bo said as his own   
  
eyes beheld the eight-headed dragon glaring at his best friend.  
  
Tomie grinned widely and waved her hand grandly at Shirley. "Yamata   
  
no Orochi, attack her Life Points directly!"  
  
The eight-headed dragon roared and unleashed a barrage of fireballs at   
  
the amateur sleuth. Bo and the others could only watch as Shirley was   
  
engulfed by the firestorm, and when the flames had cleared, they found   
  
her on her back, but fortunately, they saw her get up and shake off the   
  
attack.  
  
"Looks like you're toughening up," Tomie remarked as Shirley recovered   
  
her cards.  
  
Shirley organized her hand. "I'm getting used to it."  
  
"Too bad you won't last long," Tomie remarked with a grin, shifting   
  
her gaze to the current scores. "Specifically, you're dead on my next   
  
turn."  
  
Shirley followed suit, and Bo looked at the Life Points of both girls   
  
and noticed that it was 3600 to 8000 in favor of the Gamer of the Dark.   
  
"Great, just great," he muttered.  
  
Shirley checked her hand. "Are you done yet?"  
  
Tomie snickered wickedly. "I am now, and soon, so will you."  
  
Shirley reached for her deck and drew her card. Holding it in front   
  
of her face, she examined it closely before adding it into her hand.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I can't believe I'm actually inside this place," Molly grumbled as   
  
she and Blake stood inside Sal's.  
  
The pizza parlor had the standard trappings: tables with chairs and   
  
booths, drink dispenser, counter with stools, and cash register.   
  
Various awards and articles that contained positive reviews of the place   
  
adorned the walls, which exhibited a few cracks here and there. What made   
  
it unique was the set-up in one corner of the place, a small platform   
  
with microphone stands, karaoke machine complete with teleprompters,   
  
and speakers.  
  
When Molly and Blake had come in, someone had just stepped off the   
  
karaoke stage among a loud round of applause. Watching from the counter,   
  
the owner, a generously portly fellow in a flannel shirt and apron,   
  
clapped his padded hands as hard as he could while wearing a large smile   
  
underneath his mustache.  
  
"Bravo, bravo, Kenny!" he exclaimed as the singer returned to the   
  
booth where his friends were almost finished with a large bacon mushroom   
  
cheeseburger pizza. "Well, everyone, we have time for one more song   
  
before we have to wrap things up. Any volunteers?"  
  
Molly's eyes scanned the seating area. Noticing this, Blake asked,   
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Just checking if anyone we know is here," Molly said, still looking   
  
around.  
  
"I doubt it," Blake said. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"Easy for you to say," Molly said, frowning at what appeared to be a   
  
stain on the white wall. "Why exactly are we here?"  
  
"Well..." A mischevious grin crossed Blake's face as he pointed   
  
towards the karaoke stage.  
  
Molly's eyes widened with horror. "Oh no, oh no, we're not..."  
  
"Come now." The owner's voice boomed around the room. "Anyone here   
  
want to show off their beautiful voice?"  
  
"Come on." Still wearing his grin, Blake took Molly's hand and walked   
  
her towards the stage. "Over here!" he yelled as he waved his free   
  
hand while Molly protested loudly.  
  
"And here we go!" the owner announced as Blake dragged Molly to the   
  
stage while waving cheerfully to the customers.  
  
As Blake stood Molly in front of a microphone stand, the people   
  
stopped eating and focused their attention on the stage. While Blake took   
  
his microphone, Molly shot him a sideways glare. "What the heck are we   
  
doing?" she hissed.  
  
"Why, singing, of course," Blake said as he studied his microphone.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?" Molly eyed the microphone in front of her   
  
and the awaiting audience. "Can you even sing?"  
  
"Hmmmmmm, not that great, but with a little practice, I could get   
  
better," Blake said. "I consider this a great time to do so." He looked   
  
at Molly. "And you?"  
  
"Not so bad, but still..." Molly frowned, and then she clenched her   
  
teeth. "You are aware that you're setting yourself for humiliation as   
  
well as me, correct?"  
  
Blake shrugged. "Just trying out new things, remember?"  
  
The owner appeared next to the two teens. "Hmmmmmmm, never seen you   
  
two around here before," he said cheerfully as he looked over them.   
  
"Care to introduce yourselves to the audience?" he asked as he gestured   
  
towards his customers.  
  
Molly stiffened. If word ever got out that she actually sang at a   
  
place like this...  
  
"I'm Blake," Blake said with the microphone on, and he gestured   
  
towards Molly, "and this is..."  
  
Molly's hands hung at her sides as they bunched up into fists. As   
  
soon as she was back in her dorm, she was definitely going to take what   
  
she stole from Blake and...  
  
"Courtney." Blake cleared his throat.  
  
Puzzled, Molly stared incredulously at Blake, who smiled at her.   
  
Catching on, she quickly addressed the crowd. "Yes, that's me, Courtney."  
  
The owner beamed at them. "Welcome to Sal's, Blake and Courtney. I   
  
hope you'll provide us all with some entertainment." He cleared his   
  
throat. "All right then, do you wish to sing individually or do a duet?"  
  
"Duet," Blake answered before Molly could.  
  
"Any song you have in mind?" the owner inquired, gesturing towards the   
  
karaoke machine. "We have a variety of songs."  
  
"Hmmmmmm...nothing that comes to mind at the moment," Blake admitted,   
  
grinning sheepishly.  
  
"Ah." The owner turned to the audience. "Will someone get me the   
  
bowl?"  
  
A girl stepped out of the kitchen and ducked beneath the counter. A   
  
second later, she rose with a large fishbowl filled with paper in her   
  
arms.   
  
"Denise, would you be so kind as to pick a tune for our lovely   
  
couple?" the owner said.  
  
The girl reached into the fishbowl and moved her hand back and forth   
  
within the mass of loose paper. Without looking, she pulled out a   
  
folded slip of paper.  
  
"Well, Denise, what will they be singing tonight?"  
  
The girl opened the slip of paper and skimmed over its contents.   
  
After a minute of silence, she declared in a clear voice, "'I Got You,   
  
Babe' by Sonny and Cher."  
  
Molly turned to Blake and shot him a look of contempt. He just   
  
shrugged and grinned. "The bowl has spoken," he remarked, and he turned to   
  
his teleprompter.  
  
The owner walked up to the karaoke machine and made the selection.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, for your pleasure, Blake and Courtney will sing 'I   
  
Got You Babe.'"  
  
The audience clapped enthusiastically as the music began. No one   
  
noticed how shocked Molly looked, but once the song lyrics began to appear   
  
on her teleprompter, she had no choice but to sing.  
  
"They say we're young and we don't know," she began, and amazingly,   
  
the line came out without a break in her voice. "We won't find out until   
  
we grow."  
  
"Well I don't know if all that's true," Blake joined in, and Molly had   
  
to admit silently that he didn't really sound bad; however, she   
  
couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the lyrics. "'Cause you got me,   
  
and baby I got you," he continued while moving with the music. "Babe."  
  
Following their cues, they sang the next lines together while trying   
  
not to crack up. "I got you babe, I got you babe."  
  
Overall, the audience reacted positively to them, and the owner   
  
applauded the effort. Meanwhile, no one noticed the pair of red eyes   
  
watching Molly and Blake from afar.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 13 


	15. Chapter 14

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 14  
  
by HA  
  
"Whoa," Stink exclaimed as he skimmed the menu. "That much for an appetizer?"  
  
"Those are the cheapest things there aside from the drinks," Alicia remarked. "I think I'll have my usual."  
  
"I'll just go with the lemon chicken breast," Stink said. "It's not that pricy." He looked hopefully at Alicia, who was giving him a weird look. "Um, you can pay for this, right?"  
  
Alicia rolled her eyes. "Be thankful I never leave home without my credit card." She put down her menu and glared at him. "You're paying me back for this."  
  
"Me?" Stink said wide-eyed.  
  
"It's your fault we're here," Alicia said. "You and your obsession with Molly."  
  
"This coming from someone obsessed with every good-looking guy she sees," Stink shot back. "First you like this guy, then the next one, and then the next one..."  
  
Alicia snarled and moved her hand closer to her knife. "Why you..."  
  
"Are you ready to order?"  
  
The waiter's question got their attention, not to mention it prevented possible bloodshed. "I believe we are," Alicia said, keeping her hand next to her knife. "I'll have my usual."  
  
"Of course, Miss Gianelli," the waiter said, "and what will your boyfriend have?"  
  
Both teens sputtered. "Wh-wh-what?" they exclaimed at the same time, causing a few of their fellow diners to almost jump out of their seats.  
  
Seeing their eyes bugged out, their jaws almost falling off, and their faces just abouyt he ating up, the waiter cleared his throat. "Oh, my apologies. I thought..."  
  
"I'll have the lemon chicken breast," Stink said quickly.  
  
The waiter collected their menus as fast as he could and left while his face was tinged with embarassment. He wasn't the only one. Both Stink and Alicia tried to talk away the redness on their faces.  
  
"I can't believe he thought that," Alicia said, still trying to get over the shock of hearing that particular assumption as she began wrapping and unwrapping the napkin around her eating utensils. "Us dating? Really!"  
  
"Tell me about it," Stink said in total agreement while letting out a little laugh. "I mean, sure, you're good-looking, but still..."  
  
After laughing a little, Alicia froze and gaped at him. "What did you say?"  
  
"Huh?" Stink met Alicia's stare. "I just said I agreed with you."  
  
"No, no," Alicia said quickly. "What did you say after that?"  
  
"I said something after that?" Stink said innocently.  
  
"Yes, you did," Alicia said. "I could've sworn you actually called me 'good-looking.'"  
  
"What?" This time, it was Stink's turn to gape at Alicia. "Oh, come on..."  
  
"Last time I checked, my ears still work." Alicia continued to verbally drill Stink. "You really think I'm attractive?"  
  
"Well...um..." Stink hemhawed under Alicia's intense gaze as he felt his face and ears heat up. "I might have...mentioned it."  
  
"Hmmmmm..." Alicia gave Stink a funny look. "Well, I have to admit that someone out there might find you attractive and might actually want to go out with you. Too bad no one at our school fits that description."  
  
"Ouch," Stink said, faking as if someone had struck him in the gut, but as he looked at Alicia, he had to admit that she could get a guy with her looks. Granted, she was no supermodel, but she wasn't exactly butt-ugly, although she could be bossy at some times. Still, she was pretty...in her own way.  
  
"Stink, what are you looking at?" Alicia asked suspiciously.  
  
Spanning out of his daze, Stink quickly answered, "Oh, I was just remembering when I tied your underpants to a balloon and floated in the hallway."  
  
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I'm still looking for a way to pay you back for that."  
  
"It happened a long time ago," Stink said. "Don't tell me you still have a grudge against me for that."  
  
"Believe me, I have a list of things you've done to me ever since we've known each other that I'd like to pay you back for," Alicia said, but as she glared at him, she had to admit to herself that the right person would want to go out with him. Sure, that person would have to deal with his bad sense of humor and bad taste in clothing, but he was cute in his own way.  
  
With both their faces gradually getting redder, they continued to look at each other in silence until Stink spoke. "So, how's the food here?" he asked shakily.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tapping her foot, Tomie frowned as Shirley continued to study her hand. "Well?" she asked.  
  
Shirley looked up. "You're confident that you'll win, so what's a few more minutes?"  
  
Tomie snarled. "You're just delaying the inevidable, Shirley. I promise I'll make your defeat quick."  
  
"Not too quickly, I'm afraid," Shirley said, placing a green card depicting a hand reaching into a clay pot onto her Magic/Trap Zone. "I'll activate Sticky Fingers."  
  
Sticky Fingers  
  
Normal Magic  
  
Draw two cards from your deck.  
  
Shirley drew two cards from the top of her deck and added them to her hand. "Ah," she said. "I'll Set this and end my turn."  
  
Bo leaned against the edge of the balcony. "You're Setting?" he yelled, almost falling off. "Shirley, don't you have anything else to play?"  
  
A card appeared in facedown Defense mode on Shirley's field. "Hmph," Tomie said as she looked at it. "Are you sure you want to end your turn?"  
  
"I'm sure," Shirley answered.  
  
Bo frowned at the single card and the imposing Monster on the Field. "I don't like it," he said. "Tomie could just Summon another Monster, destroy that defense Monster, and inflict more damage."  
  
"That's true," Sara said, "but Shirley's definitely up to something."  
  
"What makes you think that?" Bo said, hitting the edge of the balcony as hard as he could. "She knows absolutely nothing about the game, and now if she loses..." He bowed his head and said nothing.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about her," Rika said. "She'll win."  
  
Bo looked up at Rika. "How can you be so sure?"  
  
Without looking at Bo, Rika repiled, "I'm just feeling...positive at the moment."  
  
"Oh yeah," Bo said as he looked from his friend to her opponent and then to the current scores. "Everything's just going our way."  
  
"Why, Bo, I'm surprised at the doubt you have in your friend's abilities," Rika said.  
  
"Well..." Bo looked down at where his friend was and wished he was there in her place. "She's not exactly in her element right now."  
  
"When is she ever?" Rika said. "After all, she manages to get out of any difficulty that gets thrown at her."  
  
"I'm just not sure if her mind's on this right now," Bo said, wondering if she was thinking about a certain someone. At that moment, he wanted to hit something, but sadly, he wasn't around to slug right in the face.  
  
"If you're talking about Blake and Miss Cold Heart, I have a feeling about that, too," Rika said.  
  
"Another positive feeling?" Blake said.  
  
"You could say that," Rika replied. "Besides, a part of you knows she can still win."  
  
"Which one?" Bo wondered, looking at the Stranger suspiciously.  
  
"The part that cares about her," Sara said matter-of-factly.  
  
Suddenly, Bo became more focused on the Battle below. He faced away from the two Strangers and hoped that the burning sensation in his cheeks would go away.  
  
"Delaying your end, Shirley?" Tomie grinned as she drew her card. "You do know that no low level Monster--that is, levels one to four--can stand up to my Yamata no Orochi, right?"  
  
"I vaguely recall the stats of the cards I looked through," Shirley replied.  
  
"And you do know that as long as I keep blowing up your Monsters, you won't be able to Summon a high level Monster, right?" Tomie continued to ask.  
  
"I recall reading about that, yes," Shirley answered.  
  
"Good." Tomie's grin widened. "I wanted to win this turn, but since you insist on drawing this out..." She slapped a card onto her Monster Zone. "I Summon Vogon to the Field!"  
  
A gray hulking creature with the face of a humpback whale and pointed ears appeared next to the Yamata no Orochi. It roared at Shirley as it flexed its massive muscles.  
  
Vogon  
  
Level: 4  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Warrior  
  
ATK: 1800  
  
DEF: 700  
  
"Next, I'll activate Shadowlands," Tomie announced, placing a card depicting a barren landscape shrouded in darkness into her Field Magic Zone.  
  
Shadowlands  
  
Field Magic  
  
All Dark Monsters have their ATK increased by 500 and their DEF decreased by 400.  
  
"This isn't good," Sara remarked as Yamata no Orochi and Vogon had their ATK increased to 3500 and 2300, respectively.  
  
"Just great," Bo muttered. "Hang in there, Shirley."  
  
"First, I'll have Vogon destroy your pathetic defense," Tomie declared.  
  
Heeding its mistress' order with a low grunt, the Vogon rushed the defense card and smashed it with one blow of its fist. Everyone was treated to the image of a green furball with sharp claws and beady black eyes before it faded from the Field.  
  
Tomie raised an eyebrow. "A Green Digger?"  
  
Green Digger  
  
Level: 3  
  
Element: Earth  
  
Type: Beast  
  
ATK: 400  
  
DEF: 400  
  
FLIP: Return one Magic Card in your Graveyard to your hand.  
  
Shirley nodded and reached for her Graveyard. "I'll get back Sticky Fingers," she said as she returned the card to her hand.  
  
"A pity it won't help you now," Tomie said, and she pointed at her Monster's target. "Yamata no Orochi, attack!"  
  
The eight-headed dragon roared and unleashed another fiery direct attack on its mistress' opponent. Once again, Shirley was covered in flames, and as the fire burned around her, her Life Points burned down to 100.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I got you to hold my hand," Blake sang as he held out his hand to Molly.  
  
"I got you to understand," Molly sang back, trying not to laugh, something that fortunately didn't happen during the whole performance.  
  
"I got you to walk with me," Blake sang.  
  
"I got you to talk with me," Molly sang.  
  
"I got you to kiss good night," Blake sang as he looked at his reluctant singing partner.  
  
"I got you to hold me tight," Molly sang as she did her best not to gag, yet she kept her eyes focused on Blake's.  
  
"I got you, I won't let go," Blake sang.  
  
"I got you to love me so," Molly sang despite the nausea developing in her stomach.  
  
The audience cheered as Molly and Blake reached the finale. "I got you babe," they sang together, and after repeating it four more times, the audience applauded them loudly.  
  
As the applause faded, Molly left the stage as quickly as she could and focused on escaping. As Blake followed her down towards the exit, the audience called out in one voice, "Encore, encore!"  
  
The owner met them as they neared the exit. "They love you," he said with a happy smile. "Are you sure you don't want to try another song?"  
  
"Um, no," Molly said. "We really have to get going."  
  
"Oh, that's too bad," the owner said with genuine regret. "Denise, get the Polaroid camera!" he called out to the girl behind the counter while waving her over.  
  
"Polaroid camera?" Molly wished she had worn a disguise to this date.  
  
"I like to take pictures of the people who sing here," the owner explained. "I put them in an album behind the counter."  
  
"And the point of that is...?" Molly asked.  
  
"I'm not getting any younger," the owner admitted. "I like to have some good memories, and since I love people who sing, I'd like to remember them. Besides," he said with a grin, "you never know when you'll see them again at a concert or listen to one of their albums or see their music videos."  
  
"Uh-huh," Molly said. Seeing that the girl was coming with the requested camera, she began plotting her escape, which was basically running back to the restaurant and getting her bike.  
  
"How much does it cost to get copies of our own?" Blake asked, causing Molly to stare at him instead of grabbing his hand and making a mad dash out of there.  
  
"Well..." The owner rubbed his chin. "Normally, I'd charge you two bucks per copy, but since you were the best singers tonight, I'll charge you nothing."  
  
"We'd like a copy for each of us," Blake requested.  
  
"Done and done," the owner said. "Please stand in front of the wall here."  
  
As Denise found a good spot from which to take the picture, Molly and Blake took their places. "I'll make you pay for this," Molly snarled at him under her breath as she stood next to Blake.  
  
Blake flashed her a huge grin. "Why, Molly, didn't you hear the good man? These pictures are free."  
  
Molly frowned at the photographer as she continued checking the shot through the camera. "You know what I can do. I scan your stuff, and you're through," she whispered to Blake in a menacing tone.  
  
However, Blake didn't show any sign of worry on his face. "Try to smile," he simply said.  
  
Molly shot him an icy glare. "I do not smile."  
  
"Just think of a happy moment," Blake said.  
  
"I will do that," Molly said. "I'll think of how everyone will think of you after I post everything on the Web."  
  
Blake shrugged. "Do as you wish."  
  
"I'm ready," Denise said.  
  
Molly and Blake faced the camera. "Now, give us your biggest smiles," the owner recommended.  
  
As she forced her mouth into a smile, Molly started to imagine how happy she would be once she posted her purloined information, but then she began reexperiencing her earlier nausea along with a strange warmth that spread throughout her body. Strangely enough, she found herself standing close to Blake as best as she could without touching him.  
  
"Say 'cheese'!" Denise said as she got ready to take the picture.  
  
"Cheese!" Blake said with a smile along with Molly, who surprised herself by saying that.  
  
The flash went off, and the photo slid out of its slot. Taking it out, the owner examined it carefully. "Oh, that was great, and the lighting was just right," he said. "Now, for picture number two..."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 14 


	16. Chapter 15

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 15  
  
by HA  
  
"Okay, now we're in trouble," Bo said, his eyes taking in the number of Shirley's Life Points.  
  
With a wicked gleam in her yellow eyes, Tomie grinned as she Set a card in her Magic/Trap Zone. "With this card, I'll end my turn, Shirley, and I guarantee you that after your turn ends, this Battle will be over." She snickered as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what your Dark Penalty will be."  
  
"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you, Tomie?" Rika said loudly.  
  
Tomie fixed her yellow gaze on Rika. "Why shouldn't I be? I know Shirley has no Monster strong enough to take down my Yamata no Orochi, and even if she puts something down in Defense mode, I'll destroy it and finish her off." Her focus shifted to Shirley. "Well, Shirley, draw your pathetic card."  
  
Focusing on the task at hand, Shirley drew her card. Immediately, she played it. "I activate Divine Lightning."  
  
Divine Lightning  
  
Normal Magic  
  
Destroy all opposing Monsters on the Field.  
  
Dark clouds formed above the Field and began to crackle with electricity. Soon, a large surge became apparent, and a bolt of lightning shot out and streaked towards Tomie's Monsters.  
  
"Not so fast!" Tomie declared. "I activate my Trap now!"  
  
As she flipped over her Set card, an energy dome appeared over Tomie's Monsters, and the lightning bolt struck that instead. It continued to shoot out of the clouds, but it crashed in vain against the dome.  
  
"My Magical Leeching Force prevents your Divine Lightning from destroying my Monsters," Tomie said, "unless you want to discard a Magic card to let its effect get through."  
  
Magical Leeching Force  
  
Counter Trap  
  
This card can only be activated in response to a Magic card. When activated, this card destroys and negates the Magic card unless the targeted player discards a Magic card to the Graveyard.  
  
"Shirley, just discard that Sticky Fingers card you got back from the Graveyard!" Bo yelled.  
  
Shirley fixed her gaze on Tomie. "I'll let it go."  
  
Now Bo really wanted to leap off the balcony. "What?" he exclaimed as the Divine Lightning fizzled out. "Shirley, if you don't discard it, you'll lose."  
  
"Does it really matter?" Tomie said. "I doubt she has any cards that could help her right now. In fact, I think she'll never recover from the Dark Penalty I'll be inflicting on her soon."  
  
Bo turned on Tomie. "Shut up!" he yelled. "If you do that to her, I'll...!"  
  
"Bo, please."  
  
Shirley's calmly worded comment got her friend's attention. "Shirley," Bo said, "she can beat you with any of her Monsters on her next turn, and if she does win..." He bowed his head. "I'll never forgive myself," he said in a low voice.  
  
Shirley fixed her blue eyes on her best friend. "Bo, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."  
  
"No, you don't!" Tomie declared haughtily with a nasty laugh. "On my next turn, my dragon will fry the remainder of your Life Points, and you'll pay for your violations."  
  
Ignoring her opponent's words, Shirley looked at her hand. Bo watched as she did this for a few minutes. "Shirley," he whispered.  
  
"I'll activate Sticky Fingers," Shirley said, and she drew two new cards from her deck.  
  
"No matter what Monster you put down, it'll be no match for my Monsters," Tomie boasted. "Victory for me is just a turn away."  
  
"Actually," Shirley said as she faced Tomie, "I believe I've already won."  
  
* * * * *  
  
After enduring three photo shoots, Molly sped back to Sussex Academy on her bike. Behind her, Blake kept up as best as he could.  
  
*I can't believe this!* she thought, her mouth forming a frown while her teeth grinded against each other as she parked her bike into the rack outside the dorm. Everything was going to be simple. Blackmail Blake with the information she stole, make Holmes suffer, and really rub it in later. That was the scheme Molly had planned out, but now she found herself furious, for not everything was going according to plan.  
  
For starters, Blake's behavior had caught her off guard. Instead of worrying about his position, he had stayed calm and even made it fun. She had hoped to manipulate him into doing what she wanted to do, but instead she ended up following his lead. She had followed his advice on what to order, drank water with spit in it, and--oh, how humiliating--sang "I've Got You Babe" with him in front of a group of toal strangers. Even worse, she had done something with him she would never had done under normal circumstances: Open up to him.  
  
Sure, she did mention how her parents stayed out of her life, but it started with his ridiculous request about talking about her most embarassing moment. Recalling when her parents didn't even show up for one of her performances stirred up emotions she fought on a regular basis by telling herself she was above them. However, she did wonder why her parents, the ones who were the reason she even existed, always managed to shut her out of their life. If they wanted to just work and play bridge all the time, why did they bother having her? Her parents did give her gifts now and then, but they proved to be poor substitutes for actual affection, something Molly tried to hide.  
  
Making her way to the entrance of the dorm, Molly glanced at Blake as he propped his bike up. During their date, she learned that in a way, he was like her. He was well-off, and both his parents were always busy. Despite these similarities, he turned out to be well-adjusted, and despite his parents' work, they still loved him, and he loved them in return. Ever since he had come to Redington, Molly had noticed how normal he acted. She also noticed how cute he was, not to mention his good nature.  
  
Feeling her face heat up, Molly turned towards the door. Desperated, she tried to shut out whatever thoughts she was having at the moment, but they broke through. She remembered the time she had spent in the darkness, the cruel voice that had tormented her repeatedly, the kind voice that reassured her, the firm hands that had supported her...  
  
"Hey, Molly?"  
  
After taking a deep breath and feeling confident that her face was no longer red, Molly faced Blake. "What?"  
  
Blake reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the two photos of them at the pizza place. "Here."  
  
Molly stared incredulously at him. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Giving you these," Blake said, still holding out the photos.  
  
Molly gave Blake a suspicious stare. "You're just giving me both copies?"  
  
"Yeah," Blake said.  
  
Molly looked at the photos being held before her. "You're just giving me those without any strings attached?"  
  
"No strings attached," Blake said. "I'm not like you, you know."  
  
Molly quickly snatched the photos out of his hand. She managed to see herself in them before dropping her hand at her side. She had been smiling as if she was enjoying herself, and she was as close to Blake as she possibly could be.  
  
"Well, are we done?" Blake asked. "Will you give back what's mine?"  
  
Molly looked past him into the night. Although the date had taken a little longer than she had planned, she knew everything was set up. At least, for the money she was paying, everything had better be set up. "Actually, there's one more thing you have to do for me before I hand over what's yours."  
  
"Um, what would that be?" Blake asked, puzzled.  
  
Molly grinned evilly. "Why, you have to kiss me goodnight."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 15 


	17. Chapter 16

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 16  
  
by HA  
  
Bo stared at Shirley from the balcony. "What?"  
  
"Whoa," Sara said.  
  
Rika smiled. "Finally."  
  
Upon hearing Shirley's bold announcement, Tomie threw her head back as she laughed. "You've already won?" she said once she calmed down. "Please. You're almost out of Life Points, and any one of my two Monsters can wipe you out."  
  
"You know," Shirley began, cupping her chin, "inflicting damage on a player's Life Points and bringing them down to zero is one way of winning this game." She gazed at her opponent. "Since you are a master of this game, Tomie, can you tell me what the others are?"  
  
Tomie raised an eyebrow at Shirley and stared at her with her yellow eyes. "You can force your opponent to run out of cards. If they can't draw a card on their next turn, they lose."  
  
"Go on," Shirley said coolly.  
  
"Then there's the Board of Death, but that's really difficult to do," Tomie recalled. "Magic and Trap Removal can really ruin that one."  
  
"I believe there's one way to win a Battle that's even harder than that," Shirley said.  
  
"Oblivion." Tomie sneered. "It's a hard combination to do, but if you get all five parts into your hand, you win automatically."  
  
Bo saw a smile cross Shirley's face. "Well then, it's a good thing I let you use your Trap on my Divine Lightning." She held up one of the cards she drew with Sticky Fingers. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get this."  
  
An image of the card appeared above the Field. Everyone noticed the single golden key with a skull on it surrounded by darkness.  
  
"You drew the Key to Oblivion?" Tomie said, staring at the skull key before her.  
  
Key to Oblivion  
  
Level: 2  
  
Element: Dark  
  
Type: Magician  
  
ATK: 1000  
  
DEF: 1000  
  
When this card is with the [Top Left Panel of Oblivion], [Top Right Panel of Oblivion], [Bottom Left Panel of Oblivion], and [Bottom Right Panel of Oblivion] in your hand, an automatic victory is declared for the holder of these cards.  
  
Shirley nodded. "It was the second card I drew."  
  
"Well, what luck you have, Shirley." Tomie's grin got wider. "However, you need all five pieces of Oblivion to win, so I'm afraid your little declaration of victory was all for nothing."  
  
"Actually..." Shirley revealed four of her cards. "I've been holding these in my hand for quite some time."  
  
Four other cards appeared behind the Key to Oblivion. Soon, they formed the image of a golden door with the image of a Monster on it. Muscular and massive, it resembled a giant armored mummy with a pharaoh's helmet, and its limbs were chained to the door. A keyhole stood out on the Monster's chest. Below it, Tomie's Monsters began to back away, and the Yamata no Orochi seemed to be staring at it with its eight pairs of eyes with a mix of awe and dread.  
  
From the look on Tomie's face, she was sharing the same feeling with her prized dragon. "You...you were trying to assemble Oblivion all along," she said, her yellow eyes wide with shock.  
  
"That would be correct," Shirley said matter-of-factly. "I believe this Battle is over."  
  
The Key to Oblivion flew into the keyhole, and it made a loud click as it turned inside it. The door glowed an ominous red, and a minute later, it exploded open, causing a lot of smoke to fill the Field. A large shadow appeared before Tomie and her Monsters, and when the smoke finally cleared, everyone finally beheld the giant Monster in their midst. Closely resembling the creature on the door, it wore gold, and its beady red eyes stared at the two Monsters and their mistress below from behind ancient wrappings. It roared at them, showing its rotted teeth.  
  
Tomie's yellow eyes widened even more at the sight before her. "It's really Oblivion," she said, gasping.  
  
Grinning at the Monsters below, Oblivion chuckled at its prey. Its eyes glowed even brighter, and it threw its head back right before unleashing a powerful energy blast at the opposition below. It exploded upon impact, and Tomie's two Monsters shattered into pieces while their mistress screamed as she shielded herself from the glare of intense light with her arm. Shirley and the others did the same thing as the light flooded the entire stadium.  
  
* * * * *  
  
For a moment, Blake could only stare at Molly. "Um, excuse me?" he said, still staring at her as if she had asked him to dance in a chicken costume or any other strange request. "Did you just say that I have to kiss you goodnight?"  
  
"You heard me correctly," Molly said firmly, confident that everything was ready.  
  
"Hmmmmm, I don't recall that being part of our deal," Blake said.  
  
"Well, guess what?" Molly said, enjoying her control over him. "Now it is."  
  
"Um..." Blake scratched the back of his head nervously. "You know..."  
  
"No excuses," Molly said. "Do as I say, or else."  
  
Blake looked behind him. "It is kinda late, and Rosa's gotta be wondering when I'll ever get home..."  
  
"Now, listen here, you!" Molly glared at Blake, her hands over her hips. "I'm the one in charge here, and if I want you to kiss me, you'll kiss me!"  
  
Blake raised an eyebrow as he looked at the livid Molly. "Um, why would you want me to do that?"  
  
Molly's eyes darted sideways as her cheeks started to redden. "Because I can make you, and because if you don't, I'll post that..."  
  
At that point, Blake's hand flew out, and Molly suddenly fell silent. She found it rather hard to berate Blake any further when his lips were pressed onto hers.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 16 


	18. Chapter 17

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 17  
  
by HA  
  
When Shirley uncovered her eyes, she saw that the stadium was gone. She was back at the construction site, and there was no sign of Oblivion or any other Monsters. The deck she had been using was also gone, and when she looked to her left, Bo, Rika, and Sara were back on the ground.  
  
"Shirley!"  
  
Bo ran towards her, and before she could anything, he seized her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Once again, he could smell aloe in her hair. In the distance, Rika and Sara watched them with each girl wearing a small grin.  
  
Initially stunned at her best friend's emotional display, Shirley began to appreciate it, but then she gasped for air. "Bo, I can't breathe," she managed to say.  
  
Her voice plus being in physical contact with her made Bo break off the hug. As Shirley looked at him while catching her breath, Bo said with a sheepish grin, "Um, sorry about that."  
  
"No problem," she said once she recovered. "Considering what just happened, I really can't fault you for being concerned."  
  
"Yeah," he said, and his mind started coming up with what he could've done to show his concern. After the hug, he could've looked into her eyes, and from there, he'd stroke her cheek, maybe cup her chin in his hand, and then he'd lean in and...  
  
"I can't believe it."  
  
Shirley's eyes darted towards her defeated opponent, who was kneeling close by. An assortment of cards were scattered before her, and her head was bowed. The spiral medallion she wore hung heavily from her neck.  
  
"I...lost," Tomie said, sounding shocked. "I've...I've never lost before."  
  
"First time for everything," Bo cracked.  
  
The four teens surrounded the defeated Gamer of the Dark, who was beginning to collect her Monster Battler cards. "This deck has never failed me before. How...how...?"  
  
Her arms folded over her chest, Shirley looked down at Tomie. "You know, you can drop the act now."  
  
Tomie lifted her head and shot Shirley a yellow-tinted glare. "What?"  
  
"Although I'm aware that this is the first time you've lost, I doubt you should be worried about it." Shirley turned to Rika. "You know what I'm talking about, Rika."  
  
"Nani?" Rika stared at Shirley. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Bo looked at Tomie, then Rika and Sara, and then back at his best friend. "Uh, Shirl, what are you talking about?"  
  
"You know," Shirley said, looking down at Tomie and holding out her hand to her, "if you just wanted to meet me, you could've just stopped by and said 'hello.'"  
  
The Gamer of the Dark smiled, and taking Shirley's outstretched hand, managed to get to her feet. "We never fooled you, did we?"  
  
"'We'?" Bo looked around and then he gave Rika and Sara a dirty look. "Wait a sec..."  
  
"Uh oh," Sara said. "Busted."  
  
"I have to admit that it was very clever for all of you to get me out here to meet you, Tomie Uzumaki," Shirley said, "or should I call you by your real name?"  
  
"Real name?" Bo said, blinking.  
  
"You can drop your disguise now, Yume," Shirley told Tomie.  
  
"Yume?" Bo looked over the Gamer of the Dark. "Wasn't that the name she used when she was at Carson's?"  
  
"She used it for a good reason, Bo," Shirley said. "It's her real name, right, Rika?"  
  
Rika nodded. "Hai, this is true."  
  
Tomie began to glow, and a brief flash later, the Gamer of the Dark was gone. In her place stood a Japanese girl with normal brown eyes and long black hair. "You know about me?" she asked the young detective.  
  
"Only what I've read about you," Shirley admitted. "Bo, I'd like you to meet Yume Miraino, niece to the current head of the Miraino video game company, heiress to the Miraino fortune, and top expert on the Monster Battler trading card game."  
  
Bo just stared at Yume. "Whoa."  
  
"Ah, Yume, some things never change," Rika said with a smile. "The boys still like to stare at you."  
  
Yume bowed her head. "I still wish they wouldn't do that."  
  
Rika was taken aback. "Oh, sorry about that."  
  
"Don't worry," Yume said, raising her head. "It's been a while."  
  
Bo's hands were tightened into fists at his sides. "Somebody had better explain what just happened."  
  
"I'll be happy to explain everything once we get to my house," Shirley said. "I assume you can teleport us back there, Yume."  
  
Yume stared wide-eyed at the young sleuth. "H-h-hai. Yes, yes, I can."  
  
"Told you she was good," Sara said, and Bo shot her a glare.  
  
"I can see that now, yes," Yume said. "Now, if we can get the bikes here with us. I don't think we want anyone to know we were here, yes?"  
  
"That would be correct," Shirley said. "Oh, and let's try to appear near my house. My parents are probably still out, but Gran should be home by now."  
  
* * * * *  
  
It had happened so suddenly. Molly was about to finish her threat when Blake placed his hand behind her head and pushed her lips onto his. Molly's eyes widened as the kiss began, and for a moment, her body felt numb. She inadvertantly dropped the two photos, and they landed next to her feet. Then, she swore she could hear her heartbeat increase, she felt warmer, and her hand began to rise towards the back of Blake's head. Before anything else could happen, Blake let go.  
  
"Well, how was that?" he asked.  
  
Molly could only try to catch her breath, and then she spun around and faced the door. Her breathing had quickened, her heart was being beated rapidly by an imaginary hard-hitting taiko drummer, and she found herself gasping for air. Her face felt hot, and she was determined to continue staring at the wooden door before her rather than look at Blake. Seeing the photos on the ground, she bent down to pick them up.  
  
"Are you all right?" Blake asked.  
  
"I'm fine!" Molly said, raising her voice as she got up and felt her face heat up even more. "You can go now."  
  
"But what about the...?" Blake began to ask.  
  
"Just go!" Molly said, keeping her gaze on the door as she waved him away with one hand while clutching her chest with the other. "If you don't, you'll never get it back."  
  
Blake stepped back. "Okay, okay, I'm going." He started on his way, and then he stopped. "Oh, one more thing."  
  
"What?" Molly almost shouted.  
  
"I think you look better if you wear your hair down," Blake said honestly as he held his bike up by the handlebars. "Good night, Molly."  
  
Molly said nothing as she heard Blake's footsteps and the sound of his bike's wheels become fainter and fainter. After using her key, she quickly flung the door open and almost ran in. She was about to close the door when she saw Blake still leaving. Quietly, she closed the door to a crack and watched him.  
  
*I'm just making sure he's leaving, that's all,* Molly told herself, keeping her eyes on Blake. *I'm just making sure.*  
  
As she repeated that thought to herself, her face got even hotter, and her stomach started to churn again. Only when Blake was truly out of sight did she close the door and run up to her dorm room while clutching her abdomen.  
  
* * * * *  
  
While he wheeled his bike through the Sussex Academy campus, Blake reflected on the night's events. Overall, aside from not getting back his stolen property, the date went well. When he had agreed to take Molly out, Blake had hoped that by loosening her up a bit, she could've been persuaded to give back what she took from him. Granted, the activities he came up with were sometimes spur-of-the-moment and potentially annoying, but during the time he had been at Sussex, he swore that despite being surrounded by people and enjoying her high position within the school, she seemed uncomfortable occasionally. Shirley did occasionally tell him of the heinous deeds she committed in order to maintain her power (Shirley kept recalling how thanks to the blond sociopath, she nearly shipped herself to Rwanda in a crate thanks to false information concerning her then-missing mother), but she also told him about the few moments of weakness she noticed in her nemesis. She stressed that Molly Hardy had to be pitied, but also warned him of her manipulative behavior. Blake always responded by saying that compared to certain individuals, Molly was hardly a danger. In fact, he said that if Molly had a good friend, maybe she wouldn't go to great lengths to achieve her selfish goals. When Blake would share that insight, Shirley would raise an eyebrow at him and give him a look he noticed was always reserved for Bo.  
  
Having been partly freed from his role of Molly victim, Blake found himself wondering if Molly had been enjoying herself. She seemed amused at the oath he had her take after apparently overcoming her revulsion, and she wasn't a bad singer, either. His thoughts then went to Shirley, and he wondered if she managed to find the Gamer of the Dark and was all right. He smiled. Something told him that Bo would've definitely made sure nothing would happen to her. As for his stuff, he wasn't sure if Molly would ever return it, but oddly enough, something kept telling him that it would be returned.  
  
"Good evening."  
  
Blake turned around and found himself facing a pair of red eyes on a chalk white face. The rest of the figure wore black, and the eyes were topped off by a distinctive spiky haircut.  
  
"Hey, Damian," Blake greeted upon recognizing the Stranger, and he noticed that he was holding something. "What're you holding?"  
  
His pale face showing no sign of emotion, Damian Thorne lifted his hand so that Blake could see its contents. In Damian's gloved hand was a mass of melted plastic and glass. It was mostly gray with a blob with a mix of red, yellow, and white on the side.  
  
"A camcorder?" Blake said as he stared at Damian's hand.  
  
Damian nodded as he adjusted his red goggles. "The gentleman I found over there"--he pointed out the location to Blake--"had it on zoom and was watching you. He ran away while screaming something about vampires roaming the Earth and this job not being worth that much money and his life."  
  
Blake shook his head, and formed his mouth into an amused grin. "Molly Hardy, you're quite the piece of work." He returned his attention to Damian. "How long have you been watching me?"  
  
"Ever since you arrived at Sussex to meet with her," Damian said.  
  
"Did Shirley put you up to this?" Blake inquired.  
  
"No," Damian answered simply.  
  
"I see." Blake let loose his next question. "If you were here, then why didn't you just get back my stuff?"  
  
"I believe you know why," the other answered. "We both know what will happen."  
  
"Hmm." Blake looked at the dormitory. "Is it that obvious that I'm that optimistic about this?"  
  
"I cannot blame you," Damian said. "I have encountered people who make her seem like a saint."  
  
"Oh, really?" Blake's curiosity became piqued. "Um, Damian, by the way..."  
  
"Good night, Blake Hewitt," Damian said as he walked past him. When he was a meter away from him, he stopped walking and said, "One more thing."  
  
"What?" Blake said.  
  
"Tell your two other friends to be more careful next time," Damian said.  
  
Blake watched as Damian disappeared into the night with his black coat flapping behind him. Once the Stranger was gone, he mounted his bike and rode off for home.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 17 


	19. Chapter 18

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 18  
  
by HA  
  
"We must apologize for coming in at such a late hour," Rika told Gran after taking a good sip of cocoa.  
  
Gran gently waved away the apology. "Oh, don't worry about it. I think it's nice to meet some of Shirley's other friends."  
  
As Bo sat next to Shirley at the kitchen table, he glared at Rika, Sara, and Yume while drinking a mug of the hot cocoa Gran had made and holding a homemade sugar cookie. The night's events haven't exactly left him with a glowing impression of them, especially considering the facts that Yume/Tomie had tried to strangle him and had forced Shirley to play a game in which losing would result in insanity or even death.  
  
"Still, I'm rather curious on why all of you were out at this time," Gran said as she finished washing her mug. "Come to think of it, I never saw you on my way here."  
  
"Oh, we were just...hanging out," Shirley said quickly, "and we took an alternative route here."  
  
Her statement wasn't exactly a lie. Yume had teleported the teens and their bikes just where Shirley had wanted, and a minute or two later, Gran had shown up in her sweats. Instead of asking questions, however, Shirley's grandmother invited everyone in for a snack and something warm to drink. In fact, Yume was enjoying the sugar cookies a little too much; Shirley couldn't help but stare as the Japanese girl wolfed down cookie after cookie between sips of cocoa.  
  
Gran let out a small yawn. "Well, I'll leave you kids here. That walk was very rejuvenating, but it's time for me to go to bed. Shirley, make sure you clean up, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Gran," Shirley answered. "Night."  
  
After Gran had left the kitchen and a few minutes of chewing cookies and sipping cocoa, Bo addressed Shirley. "All right, explain."  
  
"Yes, Shirley," Rika said after taking a long sip of cocoa. "How did you figure everything out?"  
  
Shirley drank from her mug before explaining everything to her friends. "For one thing, the behavior of you two."  
  
"Our behavior?" Sara asked, accidentally spraying crumbs out of her mouth. Realizing what she had done, she grinned sheepishly and resumed chewing without saying a word.  
  
"When you two were at the hotel, you talked to the desk clerk only," Shirley recalled. "You didn't even bother checking out the room, and that's essential for an investigator to do. Also, Rika definitely knew who she was dealing with."  
  
"True," Rika acknowledged with a nod.  
  
"Then there were the blatant attempts at reverse psychology," Shirley stated. "You knew I'd keep investigating no matter what, and you've studied me for a while so that you were sure of it."  
  
"How true," Sara said, laughing nervously.  
  
"There was one more thing that gave everything away," Shirley said.  
  
"What would that be?" Sara asked.  
  
"Tomie's challenge," Shirley said, glancing at Yume. "Her accusations struck me as rather extreme, not to mention inconsistent with those of her previous victims. From what I gathered, you targeted people who violated others physically and mentally."  
  
Yume nodded. "This is true."  
  
"Now, your attempt to get me to play a game with you also showed me that you were told about me." Shirley put her mug down and looked at the two Strangers. "After all, it's not like I'm well-known. I noted that all the people you've targeted were usually involved in some big crime story like the man in New York." She took a cookie and bit into it. "I presume you noticed the pickpocket at the airport?" she inquired after swallowing.  
  
"Yes," Yume acknowledged. "I couldn't help but do something about it."  
  
"I see." Shirley bit into her cookie again. "I must say that this night was rather...interesting."  
  
"Interesting?" Bo almost leapt out of his chair, and he didn't care if the Strangers were of the fairer sex. His grip tightened around the handle of his mug as he glared at Yume, who was about to bite into another cookie. "These guys just decided to put you through hell--not to mention nearly choke me to death--and all you can say about the whole thing is 'interesting'?"  
  
"It was not our intention to harm Shirley," Rika said.  
  
Bo stood in front of Rika and glared at her. "So what exactly was your intention?"  
  
"We had to test her," Sara said.  
  
"Test her?" Now Bo glared at Sara. "Test her for what?"  
  
Sara fidgeted under Bo's hard gaze. "Um...well...Arthur said..."  
  
"Arthur?" Bo looked at his mug and pondered hitting someone with it. "I should've known he'd be behind this."  
  
"Well, Bo, considering that he's the president of the Strangers' Club, that was a given," Shirley said.  
  
Bo stared at his best friend incredulously. "Shirl, these guys put you in danger, and you're not even mad?"  
  
"I was never really in danger, Bo," Shirley told her friend. "I didn't really fit the profile of Tomie's usual targets."  
  
"So?" Bo frowned, but as he stared into her blue eyes, he started to calm down, and eventually he sat down.  
  
"You always target people you define as those who violate others," Shirley said to Yume. "Could this have to do with you being raped a few years back?"  
  
Silence filled the room as Yume dropped her cookie to the floor. Everyone stared at Shirley, then at Yume, whose lips were trembling. "H-h-h-h-how...?" she began to say.  
  
"It came up during my research on the Gamer of the Dark," Shirley said. "According to what I read, the Gamer showed up first in Japan around the time after a young girl was raped by a gang of high school boys after a Monster Battler tournament in Tokyo. The victim's identity wasn't disclosed, but I did follow up on a description of a girl who was last seen with the alleged rapists. It matched one of a girl photgraphed at the tournament, and the photo's caption identified her as Yume Miraino, who was helping judge the event." She paused and looked at Yume.  
  
Yume's hands were clasped in her lap, and they fidgeted rapidly. "They...they did bad things to me," she said, her head bowed.  
  
"I know," Shirley said gently, and her eyes fell on the spiral medallion around Yume's neck. "Interesting."  
  
Yume looked up, and then looked at her medallion. "Yes," she said, taking the spiral into her hands. "A gift from my father."  
  
"I assume that's what transforms in you into your alter ego as well as gives you your other abilities," Shirley said.  
  
"You are correct," Yume said, letting the medallion hang around her neck. "My father said it would make me stronger."  
  
"Did he say you'd turn into a psychotic person who uses games to punish people?" Bo quipped, earning him a glare with a raised eyebrow from Shirley.  
  
"I read about what happened to the boys who raped you," Shirley said. "According to the newspaper, it took them two days before they recovered from..." She searched her mind for the right words. "...being killed repeatedly by Monsters from the game?"  
  
Yume nodded, and her eyes seemed to flash an eerie yellow. "They got what they deserved."  
  
"I see," Shirley said without even flinching. "So, what made you become the Gamer of the Dark?"  
  
Yume lifted the medallion to her face. "There is an inscription on this written in kanji." She translated the characters in a clear voice. "'Whoever wears this medallion will wield dark powers and pass judgment in the name of justice, and woe to those who are guilty.'"  
  
"So, basically, you're a supernatural vigilante," Bo remarked.  
  
"That is a very accurate label," Yume said. "I go wherever the innocent suffer, and I make the guilty pay."  
  
"She's done a lot of good in her own way, really," Sara said. "Just like you, Shirley."  
  
"Yes," Shirley said, her eyes still focused on Yume. "I assume Arthur wanted to test me for any future dangers?"  
  
"That was his intention," Yume answered. "Arthur-kun is an honorable person."  
  
"I'll bet," Bo grumbled, his arms folded tightly over his chest.  
  
Yume looked at Shirley as she reached for her mug. "If you're still wondering, no matter which deck you chose, you still would've won," she said.  
  
"Ah," Shirley said.  
  
"Only the guilty have lost a game to me." After taking a sip from her mug, Yume spoke again. "Shirley, although our methods differ greatly, you and I both try to help people as best as we can." She took a bite from another sugar cookie. "I must also assume that we both have the same regret."  
  
"Oh?" Shirley looked at Yume curiously. "What regret would that be?"  
  
Yume finished her cookie in a few bites. "That we can't do more."  
  
Shirley nodded solemnly while wondering about the things Yume had done in the name of justice, and silence filled the room momentarily. "Wait a minute," Bo said, causing everyone to stare at him. "Aren't you two"--he pointed at Yume and Rika--"bitter enemies or something?"  
  
Yume and Rika looked at each other, grinned, and then broke out into laughter. Remembering that Gran was probably trying to get some sleep, they stopped themselves and wiped the tears away from their eyes.  
  
"We've known each other since we were little," Rika revealed.  
  
"The Tamura and Miraino families have always been close in friendship and business," Yume added.  
  
"Although we tend to compete with each other now and then," Rika added with a smile.  
  
Yume sighed and grinned, and not in a way associated with someone who enjoyed driving people insane. "When Rika was still living in Japan, we competed on all fronts..."  
  
"...and made a few laughs afterwards," Rika said. "I kept beating her in athletics..."  
  
"...while I triumphed in academics," Yume said right before finishing a cookie in two big bites.  
  
Bo stared along as everyone else as Yume helped herself to more cookies and downed them quickly. It was only broken when after Yume swallowed her latest one, she said cheerfully with a smile, "I can tell these are homemade. May I have the recipe?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Well, that was..." Alicia began as she and Stink chained their bikes to the rack next to the dorm building.  
  
"What?" Stink said as he followed her to the dorm entrance.  
  
"Weird," Alicia completed as she took out her key for the front door. "I mean, in all the craziness about your obsession with Molly, we forgot to put our bikes in a safe place."  
  
"Yeah, and we just find them secured to the rack outside the restaurant," Stink said. "Weird."  
  
"That's not the only thing weird about tonight," Alicia said as she unlocked the door.  
  
Stink followed her inside and watched as she relocked the door. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Um, well..." Alicia faced Stink, and oddly enough, she did her best to keep looking at him. "For one thing, we didn't try to kill each other tonight."  
  
"Yeah," Stink said with a little laugh. "Miracles do happen." He bowed his head. "Well, not all the time," he added sadly.  
  
"Still wish you were with Molly tonight?" Alicia asked.  
  
"Yeah," Stink said with a smile as he looked upward.  
  
Alicia sighed and shook her head. "You just won't give up on her, will you?"  
  
Still wearing a smile, Stink looked down at Alicia. "Even if I have to fight Blake Hewitt for her hand."  
  
"Not exactly a good idea, if you ask me," Alicia said.  
  
"Um, good point," Stink said, recalling vaguely having seen Blake in action once.  
  
As they made their way up the stairs, Alicia couldn't help but ask one more question. "Say, Stink, you keep saying that Molly's the one for you, right?"  
  
"Yep," he replied.  
  
"So, why are you so persistent on finding the right one for you?"  
  
"Well..." Stink stopped at the top of the staircase. "I really don't want to end up like my parents."   
  
Alicia said nothing, and for a moment, she looked at Stink with pity. After a moment, the two teens continued on their way to their rooms.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Inside her dorm room, Molly sat at her computer. Her scanner laid open, ready for use, and in her hands, she held the manila envelope. Ever since she received it from her confederate, she had kept it sealed. Now, she was determined to open it, scan its contents, and post them on her Y website. After all, she had to make Blake pay for what happened that night. Noting the slight thickness of the object inside, she reached for the flap.  
  
*How dare he...!* she thought, ready to rip the envelope open, open what was inside, and begin scanning it. *Making me spill my guts, making me sing that horrible song! Oh, when I get those pictures from my pawn, I'll post them and...*  
  
She recalled how she quickly ran up the stairs once Blake was gone. She had unlocked her door and changed into her bedclothes immediately. While looking in her mirror, she had yanked out the hairpins holding up her bun, and as her blond locks tumbled down, she was reminded of Blake's comment about her looking better with her hair down. She felt like her face was burning as she dashed to the bathroom, and she took more than a few minutes to brush her teeth since she kept thinking of that kiss. Whenever that would happen, she would squirt more toothpaste onto her brush and keep brushing as hard as she could.  
  
Once she got back, she got out the manila envelope and booted up her computer. However, even after everything was ready, Molly just stared at the envelope in her hands, and even at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to even tear it open. As she stared at the envelope, her mind drifted back to Blake despite her best efforts to stop herself. Despite the situation she had forced upon him, he had taken everything well, and she had to admit she did have a little fun on their date. She clearly saw his eyes, his hair, his mouth...oh, she definitely remembered his mouth, especially how it pressed against hers. It had felt nice, and it made her warm all over...  
  
"Aaargh!" Molly tossed the envelope against the wall, and it made a loud smack before falling to the floor. That didn't stop her thoughts, though. Over and over, the kiss was replayed in her mind as she stared at her computer screen. Nausea once again afflicted her stomach along with her heart rapidly beating, and she felt her face burn up. She clutched her chest and took a deep breath, but she could still picture Blake mentally. Shaking her head, she got out of her chair and walked towards the fallen envelope. Glaring at the paper container, she reached for it, but she then froze and looked at her hand. It was the same one that had started to move towards the back of Blake's head, and she started seeing what would've happened if she had successfully moved him closer to her lips.  
  
Gasping, she yanked her hand back and her eyes went back and forth between her hand and the envelope. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered, her heart still beating like a jackhammer while her face got even hotter.  
  
  
  
END OF CHAPTER 18 


	20. Chapter 19

The Case of the Manila Envelope-Chapter 18

by HA

"We must apologize for coming in at such a late hour," Rika told Gran after taking a good sip of cocoa.

Gran gently waved away the apology. "Oh, don't worry about it. I think it's nice to meet some of Shirley's other friends."

As Bo sat next to Shirley at the kitchen table, he glared at Rika, Sara, and Yume while drinking a mug of the hot cocoa Gran had made and holding a homemade sugar cookie. The night's events haven't exactly left him with a glowing impression of them, especially considering the facts that Yume/Tomie had tried to strangle him and had forced Shirley to play a game in which losing would result in insanity or even death.

"Still, I'm rather curious on why all of you were out at this time," Gran said as she finished washing her mug. "Come to think of it, I never saw you on my way here."

"Oh, we were just...hanging out," Shirley said quickly, "and we took an alternative route here."

Her statement wasn't exactly a lie. Yume had teleported the teens and their bikes just where Shirley had wanted, and a minute or two later, Gran had shown up in her sweats. Instead of asking questions, however, Shirley's grandmother invited everyone in for a snack and something warm to drink. In fact, Yume was enjoying the sugar cookies a little too much; Shirley couldn't help but stare as the Japanese girl wolfed down cookie after cookie between sips of cocoa.

Gran let out a small yawn. "Well, I'll leave you kids here. That walk was very rejuvenating, but it's time for me to go to bed. Shirley, make sure you clean up, okay?"

"Okay, Gran," Shirley answered. "Night."

After Gran had left the kitchen and a few minutes of chewing cookies and sipping cocoa, Bo addressed Shirley. "All right, explain."

"Yes, Shirley," Rika said after taking a long sip of cocoa. "How did you figure everything out?"

Shirley drank from her mug before explaining everything to her friends. "For one thing, the behavior of you two."

"Our behavior?" Sara asked, accidentally spraying crumbs out of her mouth. Realizing what she had done, she grinned sheepishly and resumed chewing without saying a word.

"When you two were at the hotel, you talked to the desk clerk only," Shirley recalled. "You didn't even bother checking out the room, and that's essential for an investigator to do. Also, Rika definitely knew who she was dealing with."

"True," Rika acknowledged with a nod.

"Then there were the blatant attempts at reverse psychology," Shirley stated. "You knew I'd keep investigating no matter what, and you've studied me for a while so that you were sure of it."

"How true," Sara said, laughing nervously.

"There was one more thing that gave everything away," Shirley said.

"What would that be?" Sara asked.

"Tomie's challenge," Shirley said, glancing at Yume. "Her accusations struck me as rather extreme, not to mention inconsistent with those of her previous victims. From what I gathered, you targeted people who violated others physically and mentally."

Yume nodded. "This is true."

"Now, your attempt to get me to play a game with you also showed me that you were told about me." Shirley put her mug down and looked at the two Strangers. "After all, it's not like I'm well-known. I noted that all the people you've targeted were usually involved in some big crime story like the man in New York." She took a cookie and bit into it. "I presume you noticed the pickpocket at the airport?" she inquired after swallowing.

"Yes," Yume acknowledged. "I couldn't help but do something about it."

"I see." Shirley bit into her cookie again. "I must say that this night was rather...interesting."

"Interesting?" Bo almost leapt out of his chair, and he didn't care if the Strangers were of the fairer sex. His grip tightened around the handle of his mug as he glared at Yume, who was about to bite into another cookie. "These guys just decided to put you through hell-not to mention nearly choke me to death-and all you can say about the whole thing is 'interesting'?"

"It was not our intention to harm Shirley," Rika said.

Bo stood in front of Rika and glared at her. "So what exactly was your intention?"

"We had to test her," Sara said.

"Test her?" Now Bo glared at Sara. "Test her for what?"

Sara fidgeted under Bo's hard gaze. "Um...well...Arthur said..."

"Arthur?" Bo looked at his mug and pondered hitting someone with it. "I should've known he'd be behind this."

"Well, Bo, considering that he's the president of the Strangers' Club, that was a given," Shirley said.

Bo stared at his best friend incredulously. "Shirl, these guys put you in danger, and you're not even mad?"

"I was never really in danger, Bo," Shirley told her friend. "I didn't really fit the profile of Tomie's usual targets."

"So?" Bo frowned, but as he stared into her blue eyes, he started to calm down, and eventually he sat down.

"You always target people you define as those who violate others," Shirley said to Yume. "Could this have to do with you being almost raped a few years back?"

Silence filled the room as Yume dropped her cookie to the floor. Everyone stared at Shirley, then at Yume, whose lips were trembling. "H-h-h-h-how...?"

"It came up during my research on the Gamer of the Dark," Shirley said. "According to what I read, the Gamer showed up first in Japan around the time after a young girl was almost raped by a gang of high school boys after a Monster Battler tournament in Tokyo. The victim's identity wasn't disclosed, but I did follow up on a description of a girl who was last seen with the alleged attackers. It matched one of a girl photgraphed at the tournament, and the photo's caption identified her as Yume Miraino, who was helping judge the event." She paused and looked at Yume.

Yume's hands were clasped in her lap, and they fidgeted rapidly. "They...they were going to do bad things to me," she said, her head bowed.

"I know," Shirley said gently, and her eyes fell on the spiral medallion around Yume's neck. "Interesting."

Yume looked up, and then looked at her medallion. "Yes," she said, taking the spiral into her hands. "A gift from my father."

"I assume that's what transforms in you into your alter ego as well as gives you your other abilities," Shirley said.

"You are correct," Yume said, letting the medallion hang around her neck. "My father said it would make me stronger."

"Did he say you'd turn into a psychotic person who uses games to punish people?" Bo quipped, earning him a glare with a raised eyebrow from Shirley.

"I read about what happened to the boys who tried to rape you," Shirley said. "According to the newspaper, it took them two days before they recovered from..." She searched her mind for the right words. "...being killed repeatedly by Monsters from the game?"

Yume nodded, and her eyes seemed to flash an eerie yellow. "They got what they deserved."

"I see," Shirley said without even flinching. "So, what made you become the Gamer of the Dark?"

Yume lifted the medallion to her face. "There is an inscription on this written in kanji." She translated the characters in a clear voice. "'Whoever wears this medallion will wield dark powers and pass judgment in the name of justice, and woe to those who are guilty.'"

"So, basically, you're a supernatural vigilante," Bo remarked.

"That is a very accurate label," Yume said. "I go wherever the innocent suffer, and I make the guilty pay."

"She's done a lot of good in her own way, really," Sara said. "Just like you, Shirley."

"Yes," Shirley said, her eyes still focused on Yume. "I assume Arthur wanted to test me for any future dangers?"

"That was his intention," Yume answered. "Arthur-kun is an honorable person."

"I'll bet," Bo grumbled, his arms folded tightly over his chest.

Yume looked at Shirley as she reached for her mug. "If you're still wondering, no matter which deck you chose, you still would've won," she said.

"Ah," Shirley said.

"Only the guilty have lost a game to me." After taking a sip from her mug, Yume spoke again. "Shirley, although our methods differ greatly, you and I both try to help people as best as we can." She took a bite from another sugar cookie. "I must also assume that we both have the same regret."

"Oh?" Shirley looked at Yume curiously. "What regret would that be?"

Yume finished her cookie in a few bites. "That we can't do more."

Shirley nodded solemnly while wondering about the things Yume had done in the name of justice, and silence filled the room momentarily. "Wait a minute," Bo said, causing everyone to stare at him. "Aren't you two"-he pointed at Yume and Rika-"bitter enemies or something?"

Yume and Rika looked at each other, grinned, and then broke out into laughter. Remembering that Gran was probably trying to get some sleep, they stopped themselves and wiped the tears away from their eyes.

"We've known each other since we were little," Rika revealed.

"The Tamura and Miraino families have always been close in friendship and business," Yume added.

"Although we tend to compete with each other now and then," Rika added with a smile.

Yume sighed and grinned, and not in a way associated with someone who enjoyed driving people insane. "When Rika was still living in Japan, we competed on all fronts..."

"...and made a few laughs afterwards," Rika said. "I kept beating her in athletics..."

"...while I triumphed in academics," Yume said right before finishing a cookie in two big bites.

Bo stared along as everyone else as Yume helped herself to more cookies and downed them quickly. It was only broken when after Yume swallowed her latest one, she said cheerfully with a smile, "I can tell these are homemade. May I have the recipe?"

* * * * *

"Well, that was..." Alicia began as she and Stink chained their bikes to the rack next to the dorm building.

"What?" Stink said as he followed her to the dorm entrance.

"Weird," Alicia completed as she took out her key for the front door. "I mean, in all the craziness about your obsession with Molly, we forgot to put our bikes in a safe place."

"Yeah, and we just find them secured to the rack outside the restaurant," Stink said. "Weird."

"That's not the only thing weird about tonight," Alicia said as she unlocked the door.

Stink followed her inside and watched as she relocked the door. "What do you mean by that?"

"Um, well..." Alicia faced Stink, and oddly enough, she did her best to keep looking at him. "For one thing, we didn't try to kill each other tonight."

"Yeah," Stink said with a little laugh. "Miracles do happen." He bowed his head. "Well, not all the time," he added sadly.

"Still wish you were with Molly tonight?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah," Stink said with a smile as he looked upward.

Alicia sighed and shook her head. "You just won't give up on her, will you?"

Still wearing a smile, Stink looked down at Alicia. "Even if I have to fight Blake Hewitt for her hand."

"Not exactly a good idea, if you ask me," Alicia said.

"Um, good point," Stink said, recalling vaguely having seen Blake in action once.

As they made their way up the stairs, Alicia couldn't help but ask one more question. "Say, Stink, you keep saying that Molly's the one for you, right?"

"Yep," he replied.

"So, why are you so persistent on finding the right one for you?"

"Well..." Stink stopped at the top of the staircase. "I really don't want to end up like my parents."

Alicia said nothing, and for a moment, she looked at Stink with pity. After a moment, the two teens continued on their way to their rooms.

* * * * *

Inside her dorm room, Molly sat at her computer. Her scanner laid open, ready for use, and in her hands, she held the manila envelope. Ever since she received it from her confederate, she had kept it sealed. Now, she was determined to open it, scan its contents, and post them on her Y website. After all, she had to make Blake pay for what happened that night. Noting the slight thickness of the object inside, she reached for the flap.

*How dare he...!* she thought, ready to rip the envelope open, open what was inside, and begin scanning it. *Making me spill my guts, making me sing that horrible song! Oh, when I get those pictures from my pawn, I'll post them and...*

She recalled how she quickly ran up the stairs once Blake was gone. She had unlocked her door and changed into her bedclothes immediately. While looking in her mirror, she had yanked out the hairpins holding up her bun, and as her blond locks tumbled down, she was reminded of Blake's comment about her looking better with her hair down. She felt like her face was burning as she dashed to the bathroom, and she took more than a few minutes to brush her teeth since she kept thinking of that kiss. Whenever that would happen, she would squirt more toothpaste onto her brush and keep brushing as hard as she could.

Once she got back, she got out the manila envelope and booted up her computer. However, even after everything was ready, Molly just stared at the envelope in her hands, and even at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to even tear it open. As she stared at the envelope, her mind drifted back to Blake despite her best efforts to stop herself. Despite the situation she had forced upon him, he had taken everything well, and she had to admit she did have a little fun on their date. She clearly saw his eyes, his hair, his mouth...oh, she definitely remembered his mouth, especially how it pressed against hers. It had felt nice, and it made her warm all over...

"Aaargh!" Molly tossed the envelope against the wall, and it made a loud smack before falling to the floor. That didn't stop her thoughts, though. Over and over, the kiss was replayed in her mind as she stared at her computer screen. Nausea once again afflicted her stomach along with her heart rapidly beating, and she felt her face burn up. She clutched her chest and took a deep breath, but she could still picture Blake mentally. Shaking her head, she got out of her chair and walked towards the fallen envelope. Glaring at the paper container, she reached for it, but she then froze and looked at her hand. It was the same one that had started to move towards the back of Blake's head, and she started seeing what would've happened if she had successfully moved him closer to her lips.

Gasping, she yanked her hand back and her eyes went back and forth between her hand and the envelope. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered, her heart still beating like a jackhammer while her face got even hotter.

END OF CHAPTER 18


	21. Chapter 20

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 20  
  
by HA  
  
"I can't believe you guys went without me," Parker said as he tagged along behind Stink and Alicia as they left the dorm building.  
  
Alicia rolled her eyes as she did her best not to look at Parker, who was trying to stay by her side. "Look, it's not like we planned to be together Saturday night."  
  
"Not to mention that we really didn't need you around," Stink said.  
  
Stunned momentarily in his tracks, Parker recovered and continued after his friends. "But I could've helped. Besides..." He stepped out in front of Stink and glared at him. "If anything happened to Alicia, I would've..."  
  
"Oh, come on!" Stink said, glaring back at Parker. "This wasn't all about you and Alicia! This was about something more important--my future with Molly!"  
  
"Oy vey..." Alicia muttered.  
  
Stink's voice rose as he spoke. "I swear that I will be with Molly, no matter what!" he declared as he shook his fist upward. "No one will stand in my way, not even Blake Hewitt!"  
  
With that declaration of his dedication to a singular, almost impossible goal, Stink marched off to the main school building with his arms swinging at his side. Behind him, Parker shook his head.  
  
"Poor deluded soul," he remarked, and then he looked at Alicia. "So, are you busy this weekend?"  
  
Willing herself not to smack Parker with her backpack, Alicia frowned and kept facing forward as she walked at a quick pace after Stink. Meanwhile, Parker continued to follow Alicia as if she was dragging him along like a kite.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Bo woke up Monday morning, he was determined to do it. Even while handling smelly fish after smelly fish on Sunday, he couldn't get her out of his mind, especially the warm feeling of her lips against his cheek. Sometimes, he found himself standing behind the counter for good lengths of time when that happened; he really didn't want people to know how good he was feeling at that moment. The events of Saturday night still persisted in his memory, and various possibilities kept dogging him and threatening to drive him mad. Finally, as he went to bed on Sunday, he decided to talk to her about it. Not how he felt, of course, but he wanted to know why it happened. Then, maybe afterwards, he could tell her. Besides, she was probably still hurting, right?  
  
His parents had stared at him when they found him fully awake in the kitchen wolfing down a breakfast of cereal and toast with butter smeared on it. As he mounted his bike and left home, he wondered if they knew anything about his current problem. However, the further away he got from his home, the more his doubt increased. Soon, he found himself at the Holmes residence, and as he laid his bike next to the front door, he noticed a familiar bike there as well, and he felt his heart sank. Just when he reached for the doorknob, the door opened, and he saw Shirley fully dressed for school. The sight of her almost brought a smile to his lips and the question he wanted to ask her almost leapt off of his tongue and out of his mouth, but when he saw him standing behind her, he stopped himself.  
  
"Hi, Bo," Shirley had said.  
  
"Hi, Bo," Blake had said with a smile and a wave. In response, Bo had raised his hand, and after suppressing the urge to make a fist or a rude gesture, he simply waved back and forced himself to smile.  
  
The bike ride the three friends had to school proved to be quiet. Riding behind Shirley and Blake, Bo frowned as he watched them look at each other from time to time. The smiles they occasionally exchanged made him grip his handlebars even tighter, and he barely avoided crashing into a parked car.  
  
When they arrived at Sussex Academy and parked their bikes at the bicycle rack, Bo spoke first. "So, Blake, you're looking well."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I do, huh?" Blake said from a kneeling position as he locked up his bicycle chain.  
  
"Considering what Molly did to you, I'm amazed you're still okay," Bo said.  
  
"I managed to handle things," Blake said.  
  
"I never should have doubted you," Shirley said.  
  
"So, how was your big date with Molly?" Bo asked as they entered the main hallway, which was now filling up with students who were either eager or not eager to fill their heads with knowledge that would more likely be stored for future use or dumped to make room for more important things like purchasing more video games, clothes, and other pleasures of life.  
  
"Yeah, how did it go?"  
  
All three turned around to see Stink standing there. His eyes were fixed on Blake as if was a cancereous tumor ready to be expelled forcefully from the human body, and his hands were curled into fists at his sides. Behind him, Alicia was pointing at Stink silently while looping her finger besides her head, and Parker looked ready to grab his friend before he did anything rash.  
  
"Hey, Stink," Blake said in a friendly manner. "How was your weekend?"  
  
Stink narrowed his eyes at the American. "Don't play innocent with me, Blake. I saw you with her."  
  
"I know," Blake said. "I was just wondering how you and Alicia did at the restaurant."  
  
Parker gasped and shot Stink a dirty look. "You ate out with Alicia? You never said that to me."  
  
Stink returned the look to his redheaded friend. "It's not like we had a choice. We either had to pretend we were going to eat there or get kicked out."  
  
"We did have another choice, you know," Alicia said. "We could've just left."  
  
"And leave Molly with him?" Stink said, pointing to Blake. "Not on your life!"  
  
"Speaking of Molly," Shirley said, looking back.  
  
All eyes soon beheld Molly at the other side of the hallway talking to a small group of girls. As soon as Stink saw her, he yelled, "Molly!"  
  
Everyone watched as Molly looked up from her conversation, and as soon as she laid eyes on them, she quickly excused herself, bowed her head, and exited the scene as quickly as she could. Shirley noticed how she held her books close to her stomach.  
  
Stink frowned at Blake. "Look what you did!" Without another thought, he walked as quickly as he could before bolting down the hallway. "Molly!" he yelled as he nearly knocked down a teacher and some of his peers.  
  
Alicia sighed. "I'll be trying to rein him in if you need me," she said to her friends right before she walked off after the lovestruck Stink. Parker followed her while muttering "They ate together?" to himself in a low voice.  
  
"That was rather amusing."  
  
"I must admit it was, Rika," Shirley said, turning around and finding the Stranger standing behind her. However, she froze upon seeing who was next to her.  
  
"Hello," Yume Miraino said with a big smile and a little wave. Like Rika and Shirley, she was dressed in the standard Sussex Academy uniform for girls, a green blazer with the school emblem on its breast pocket, a white blouse, a striped tie, and a plaided skirt. Her long hair was down, and her eyes weren't yellow.  
  
Bo narrowed his eyes at the girl who had only recently tried to strangle him. "Okay, don't tell me that..."  
  
"My uncle's letting me stay here in Redington," Yume said cheerfully. "Arthur arranged my transfer here."  
  
"I bet," Bo grumbled as he glared at Yume. "Me and my fists would like to talk to Arthur about that and other things," he added as he curled and uncurled his hand.  
  
"Bo..." Shirley shot him the look he had gotten used to during the time they have known each other.  
  
Much to everyone's surprise, Yume threw back her head and laughed, but not in a sinister way. Rika simply shook her head as everyone stared at her old friend. "Oh, Bo, you are so funny!" she said as she wiped tears from her eyes.  
  
Bo raised an eyebrow as he stared incredulously at the new student. "Okay, did I miss something here?"  
  
Yume let out a little giggle as she looked at Rika. "Rika-chan, can you believe what he said?"  
  
"Not exactly a good thing to do, Bo," Rika said solemnly.  
  
"And why's that?" Bo asked.  
  
Rika simply frowned in response, and no one said anything until Yume piped up. "Well, I must see someone about my classes. I hope to see you later," she said before dragging away Rika and merging with the student population currently crowding the hallway.  
  
"So that was the infamous Gamer of the Dark, huh?" Blake remarked. "She really didn't look that evil."  
  
"You weren't there," Bo said to him as he recalled the hellish ordeal Tomie Uzumaki put them through the past weekend.  
  
"True, but Shirley filled me in over the weekend," Blake said.  
  
Bo gulped. "She did?"  
  
"I did," Shirley said.  
  
Bo trembled. "You told him everything?"  
  
Shirley nodded, and Blake smiled. "You were there for her, Bo, unlike me." His hands fidgeted, and he looked down. "Had to be otherwise preoccupied that night."  
  
"Speaking of which, how was your date with the evil one?" Bo asked.  
  
"Not that bad, really," Blake said. "Poor girl. You really have to pity her."  
  
"Sure you do," Bo remarked.  
  
"Aside from information Blake has yet to divulge due to some odd oath he took with her," Shirley said, "I would have to say that he survived the whole ordeal unscathed." She raised an eyebrow at Blake. "Still, did you have to kiss her good night?"  
  
Bo's eyes almost shot out of their sockets, and his jaw looked like it was going to fall to the ground. "Whoa whoa whoa," he said in a whisper. "You had to kiss her?"  
  
"On the lips," Shirley clarified, and Bo noticed that her hand was curling into a fist.  
  
"I really wasn't in the position to argue with her," Blake said.  
  
Bo looked over his friend. "Hmmm, you don't seem to be poisoned or anything..."  
  
The three friends made their way to the lockers. "Did you hear from her regarding...?" Shirley asked as Blake approached his.  
  
"Not yet," Blake answered as he unlocked his locker. "She never did call me over the weekend."  
  
"Too bad," Bo said as Blake opened his locker, and his thoughts returned to holding Shirley in his arms as she cried. "Care to tell us why...?"  
  
Bo stopped talking as a manila envelope fell to the floor. As he and Shirley watched, Blake quickly snatched it up into his arms. "Thank God," he said softly with a sigh of relief, and he bent down and swung his backpack onto the floor.  
  
Both Shirley and Bo watched as Blake unzipped his backpack and immediately stuffed the envelope inside. "So, what exactly is it?" she asked, still staring as he got up from the floor.  
  
Blake smiled at her, and Bo felt his fist slowly forming again. "Don't worry, guys," he said. "I'll tell you during lunch."  
  
* * * * *  
  
When lunch came, the three friends agreed to meet in the science lab. As they settled down at a table, Shirley asked Blake, "Okay, show us."  
  
Blake nodded and unzipped his backpack. His two friends watched as he pulled out the manila envelope and opened it carefully. He reached inside it, pulled out its contents, and showed them to everyone present. "There you go," he said.  
  
Shirley and Bo beheld a notebook with a paper cover on it. "So, this was what Molly had on you?" Shirley asked.  
  
"Yep. Can you believe it?" Blake said.  
  
"So what's the big deal about it?" Bo asked as he looked over the cover, which had the word "Sherlock Notes" written in black marker.  
  
Shirley also noticed the title, and then she realized what it all meant. "Does this contain all the programs you designed and used as Sherlock?"  
  
Blake grinned and nodded. "You got it, Shirley." He handed the notebook to her. "Feel free to look through it, but hold the paper cover tightly, and don't blame me if you don't understand a single word of it."  
  
Shirley opened the notebook carefully and noticed that the paper cover was being held in place by a mix of yellowing and fresh transparent tape. With Bo looking over her shoulder, she began to skim through the pages of mathematical formulas, notes, program drafts, and actually working programs. "Fascinating," she remarked.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Bo said, but the contents of the notebook were all in a foreign language to him. In addition, he was so close to Shirley that he could smell her hair, and that effectively distracted him from understanding Blake's programs and notes. Once again, his nose picked aloe, and he had to fight the urge to get a better sniff. Unfortunately, he felt himself feeling good yet again, and he retreated to the other side of the table.  
  
Shirley looked at her best friend, who was deliberately standing behind the table. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Um, yes, sure, I'm fine," Bo answered as he tried to focus on other things.  
  
After raising an eyebrow at Bo, Shirley closed the notebook and handed it to Blake. "Interesting stuff. No wonder Molly could make you do what she wanted."  
  
"Yeah," Blake said as he put the notebook back into the envelope and stuffed it into his backpack. "I don't think Dad would like it if he ever found this." He began closing his backpack. "Being thrown in jail for hacking into various computer systems won't endear me to the police, either. They'd figure out a lot of stuff that happened in California and more if they ever got my notes."  
  
"Then why keep it?" Bo asked, feeling a lot better, but still keeping himself behind the table.  
  
"Sentimental value," Blake said as he zipped up his backpack. "Plus, I keep procrastinating on transfering everything to a computer disk, although the notebook's easier to destroy." Putting his backpack next to his feet, he looked at his lunch and flashed a grin. "So, now that my big secret's out, can we eat now?"  
  
Immediately, everyone dug into their food. As she ate, Shirley looked at Blake and recalled the call he had made to her Saturday night. She had wanted to scream at him, but once he had started off with asking how she was in a calm manner, she had regained her self-control, and from there, they had discussed what had happened to each other hours earlier. When she had admitted how her emotions had led her to kiss Bo on the cheek, she had become genuinely puzzled when Blake had let out a little laugh on the other line. Even when she had gone to bed, the moment was still playing in her mind, and she could still feel Bo's skin against her lips. When Sunday came, she resolved to not let the incident bother her in the least. For one thing, Bo was definitely just a friend, and whenever he held her in his arms, it was just him being a good, caring, concerned friend and nothing more. For another, she was definitely sure that she wasn't his type. She had spent most of her time telling herself these things, and when Monday came, she was pleasantly surprised by Blake's early arrival at her house. She had invited him in for breakfast with her family, and when Bo had arrived, they were almost done eating.  
  
Shirley's blue eyes shifted to Bo, and when he noticed her looking at him, he looked down at his food tray. The young detective sighed and saw that her assumptions were correct. She found herself actually considering that perhaps that there was more to her relationship with Bo, but the logical part of her dismissed it immediately to he back of her mind, and she returned her attention to her food and Blake, who returned her gaze with a smile.  
  
Feeling that it was safe to look up, Bo saw Shirley and Blake looking at each other. He felt a churning in his stomach, and the grip he had around his fork started to tighten. Frowning, he returned his attention to his food, and when his two friends started talking, he kept it there and tried to chew as loudly as he could.  
  
"So, um..." Blake scratched the back of his head. "I know I put you through a lot on Saturday, so I was wondering if you'd...um...er...see a movie with me or something like that on this coming Saturday, or Sunday if you're busy..."  
  
"Blake, I'd be glad to go out with you," Shirley said.  
  
Seconds later, a loud snap pinged through the room. Both Shirley and Blake looked at Bo, who was holding one half of his fork. "Er, sorry about that," he said sheepishly.  
  
Shirley gave her best friend a look, and Blake had a feeling about the cause of what just happened. "Bo, you can come along with us. You've been through a lot, too."  
  
"Working over the weekend," Bo said firmly, and he proceeded to drink up all his milk loudly, which effectively ended the discussion. However, when Shirley and Blake began discussing their plans for the weekend, he looked at them and began to regret everything he had just said, among other things.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When he got home, Blake found a note from Rosa telling him that she would be out buying ingredients for dinner. After helping himself to a few homemade peanut butter cookies and some milk, he went to his bedroom. Quickly, he threw his backpack onto his bed and unzipped its main pouch. Without a word, he yanked out the now opened manila envelope, and he dug out the notebook that had been the cause of the past Saturday night's events. Holding it in his hands, he looked it over and said, "Man, that was close."  
  
Without a word, he opened the front of the notebook and reached carefully into the space between the paper and hard covers. Seconds later, he pulled out an old photograph, and as he settled down on his bed, he looked at the two kids standing next to each other in it. One looked like him except he was much younger, and the other was a girl with long red hair and a faceful of freckles. Her clothing made her stand out in the photograph; she was wearing lavender overalls decorated with stars over a blue shirt with multi-colored sparkles and a rainbow on it, and a Greek fisherman's cap with a yellow plume adorned her head. The boy was smiling as if on cue, and the girl was winking at the camera while sticking out her tongue and using her hand to make two bunny ears poke out from behind the boy's head.  
  
Blake sighed and touched the image of the girl. "Wish you were here, Court," he said with a small chuckle, and he turned over the picture to look at the handwriting on the back, which read "Blake (just turned 6) and Courtney posing for the camera."  
  
Replacing the photograph back into its hiding place, Blake looked at the envelope. Silently, he reached into it and fished around. Finding something, he quickly pulled it out, and to his surprise, he found himself holding one of the pictures he had taken with Molly at the pizza parlor. Even more surprising, he noticed the smile crossing Molly's face, and when he turned the picture over, he found something written in pencil on the back. Despite the faintness of the writing, he made out the words, "Thank you. Nothing happened."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 20 


	22. Epilogue

The Case of the Manila Envelope--Epilogue  
  
by HA  
  
The residence of Dr. and Mrs. Blanchard was rather lively that Monday night, for the couple had invited all their close friends to celebrate a momentous occasion. If outsiders had come into the large apartment, they would've assumed from the lively chatter, the assortment of extravagent and delicious dishes, the banners declaring "Congratualtions," and the clearly happy couple being the center of attention that it was a celebration of a wedding anniversary. However, the occasion for the party was repeatedly stressed whenever Dr. Blanchard held up a news clipping with the headline "Doctor found not guilty in viral murder." In addition, Mrs. Blanchard told her friends about how staunchly loyal she was to her husband despite the fact that his mistress, whose toddler son was killed thanks to the virus that infected both of them, testified on the stand about the affair that had produced the deceased child. Some even mentioned how it seemed Mrs. Blanchard flip-flopped on the stand, but she simply dismissed it with a smile and a laugh and encouraged them to enjoy themselves.  
  
As the party continued, Mrs. Blanchard took her husband aside and whispered to him, "After this, we'll need to discuss a few things regarding your conduct, dear," she said in a voice peppered with sweet venom.  
  
Dr. Blanchard frowned at his wife, and he turned away from her to see his gathered friends celebrating his acquittal. However, to his astonishment, he saw only darkness. "What the hell...?" he said.  
  
He felt his wife grab his arm tightly. "Wh-wh-where is everyone?" she asked, her lip trembling as she too beheld the darkness.  
  
Then, around them they heard a soft malevolent giggle. Finally, they heard a voice from the darkness. "Time to play a game," it announced softly.  
  
Both of them found themselves holding each other when they saw the pair of yellow eyes appear before them. Seconds later, a Cheshire Cat-like grin formed underneath the eeriely glowing orbs.  
  
* * * * *  
  
George Shutton looked around his current surroundings, and then into the mirror before him. Despite hating the sweaty, wart-and-boil-filled face topped with wisps of hair he saw in the mirror, he couldn't really frown at his reflection since his mouth was gone. He gulped, but no sound came out, and he shakily moved around the room.  
  
Thanks to some key evidence that mysteriously materialized at his apartment, he was once again going to trial on the murders he had thought he would get away with. He recalled how the judge ruled that he would be retried for his crimes, and now that he was rendered hideous, he doubted his chances of acquittal were good. His own lawyer, who was working pro bono, had encouraged him to plead guilty based on the evidence and informed him firmly that the prosecution was not willing to cut a deal with him. Shutton had stubbornly refused, and so the trial would commence in a few days. He also blamed his current physical condition for his denial of bail, although it was more likely the judge was correct in assuming he would be a flight risk.  
  
However, that wasn't what was worrying him at the moment. The strange girl had taken the envelope and its contents from him, and he knew the consequences for that. He wasn't even supposed to have it, but self-preservation had motivated him to take it. His own skills at persuasion had kept him out of prison, so he kept the envelope as a last resort to bargain for his freedom someday or a way to make some money on the side. It wasn't like he owed them anything; all they did was discover him one day and offered him a job. It wasn't like they gave him his abilities; he had always felt that he took after his smooth-talking father. Daddy had always used his good looks and smooth tongue to charm people to get what he wanted, and he felt fortunate that he looked like him. Still, he knew that even if he had his good looks, nothing would save him.  
  
Therefore, despite not having the envelope in his possession, he had his lawyer tell the assistant district attorney that he had information of the utmost importance to communicate to him. His lawyer had followed his instructions to the letter (in fact, Shutton had written them down for him and had him deliver his words to the prosecutor), and he reported back that a deal could be made in which Shutton would plead guilty to manslaughter. Apparently, when Shutton's written request mentioned them, the prosecutor was more than willing to listen to him, for he had Shutton moved to a solitary cell under heavy guard and a video camera to ensure his safety. Still, Shutton doubted that it would be enough, and he wished that the assistant D.A. would hurry up to the prison so that he could tell him all he knew. His skills proved to be effective against the general populace, but they seemed to be ineffective against them.  
  
Disgusted with his face, Shutton looked away from the mirror and fidgeted in the middle of the room. He breathed deeply and exhaled through his nose. Still anxious, he even resorted to prayer to will the assistant D.A. to come quickly. He had employed it once to con people out of their money while posing as an evangelist, and his skills had kept them from testifying against him.  
  
He almost jumped when he heard the cell door unlock, and he turned around to find a single guard coming in. If he still had a mouth, he would've said "Hey, you scared the living hell out of me" as he clutched his rapidly beating heart. He was about to go to his bed to fetch his notepad and write out whether it was time to see the assistant D.A. when his eyes widened at the guard's face.  
  
"Dostvedanya," the guard said grimly with an accent.  
  
Shutton immediately recognized the voice. The guard raised a hand, and a few seconds later, the light bulb lighting the room shattered along with the camera monitoring the cell. Shutton found himself moving away from the falling shards of glass only to move towards another spot in order to avoid the falling remains of the camera. Soon, all he could make out in the darkness is the figure of the guard.  
  
Despite his fear, the prisoner's desire to live made him swing at the guard. His fist passed through a small breeze, and when Shutton turned around, the guard was standing behind him, and his eyes spotted the clawed hand ready to strike. Seconds later, he felt something sharp cut against his face, and in his mind, he screamed as he felt another slash against his chest.  
  
Later, the assistant D.A. followed the guards as they ran to Shutton's cell. Not only did they find the door ajar and the camera shattered into pieces, they also found Shutton on the floor. When everyone came in for a closer look, they saw that although his face was still ugly and marked, he had gotten his mouth back.  
  
It matched the nine other deep slash marks on his face and chest rather nicely, especially with the blood streaming out of them. 


End file.
